A care documents checklist for family caregivers

Updated 1 November 2026 · 4 min read

When a parent's health changes suddenly, the question is rarely “do we have the paperwork?” It is “where is it?” This checklist covers the documents family caregivers most often need. Names and rules vary a lot by country and state, so treat it as a prompt and ask a lawyer, solicitor or local aged-care service about what applies to you.

Identity and basics

Photo ID (driver's licence or passport)
Birth certificate and, if relevant, marriage certificate
Social security, tax file or national insurance number, kept securely
A list of key contacts: family, neighbours, close friends

Health and insurance

Health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or other benefit cards
The current medication list (see keeping track of medications)
Names and contact details of doctors, specialists and the pharmacy
A summary of conditions, allergies and past surgeries
Recent test results, hospital discharge papers and referrals
Dental, vision and hearing details

Legal planning

These documents let other people act or speak for your parent, so they matter most when your parent can no longer do so. They have different names in different places, such as power of attorney, healthcare proxy, advance care directive, enduring guardianship or living will. They are usually only valid if signed while your parent has capacity, so it is best to talk about them early.

A will, and where the original is kept
Power of attorney for finances
Healthcare power of attorney or healthcare proxy
Advance care directive or living will
Any funeral or end-of-life wishes

Money and home

Bank and investment account details, and who can access them
Pension and benefit statements
Property deeds, lease or mortgage papers
Home, car and other insurance policies
A list of regular bills and how they are paid
Details of any debts

Care services

Any aged-care or home-care assessments and plans
Service provider contacts and agreements
Records of any benefits applied for
Notes on conversations with agencies, with dates

What the National Institute on Aging says

The US National Institute on Aging (NIA) groups the main papers into estate and financial documents (such as a will, a durable power of attorney for finances and a living trust) and advance directives (a living will, which sets out which treatments a person would or would not want, and a durable power of attorney for health care, which names a health care proxy). It suggests keeping important papers and copies of legal documents in one place, keeping copies at home if originals are in a bank safe deposit box, telling someone you trust or a lawyer where to find them, and reviewing the plans at least once each year and after any major life event.

If you are outside the US

England and Wales: GOV.UK explains that a lasting power of attorney lets you choose attorneys to make decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. There are two types, one for health and welfare and one for property and financial affairs, and it is valid in England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different arrangements.
Australia: My Aged Care explains that an appointed decision-maker has legal authority to decide for a person, for example through an enduring power of attorney or enduring guardianship, and that the documents and names vary by state and territory (for example advance health directives in Queensland and South Australia). It advises seeking legal advice.
Canada: Health Canada says advance care planning records the care a person would want if they could not speak for themselves, that it can be changed at any time, and that each province and territory has its own rules and forms. The person who speaks for you if you cannot decide may be called a substitute decision maker, medical proxy, health representative, agent or power of attorney for personal care, depending on where you live.

How to store them

Keep the originals safe in a fireproof box or with a lawyer, and tell the family where they are.
Keep copies where the people who need them can reach them. A shared digital vault lets a sibling in another city find a document without calling.
Control who can see what. Sensitive documents should only be shared with the people who need them, and should not be sent over insecure channels.
Keep it current. Review the list every six to twelve months and after any big change.
Make a short index. One page listing each document and where it is makes the rest easy to find.

A note on access

Having a document in your phone is not the same as having legal authority. Banks, hospitals and agencies will usually need the right signed paperwork. If you are unsure what you are allowed to do on your parent's behalf, ask a professional before you act.

This guide is general information and not legal or financial advice.

Share the work with your care circle

Kinship Guard has a shared document vault for care paperwork, kept alongside the tasks and appointments it relates to.

App Store: iPhone and iPad Google Play: Android

Free to download · iPhone, iPad and Android

Sources

Getting Your Affairs in Order Checklist: Documents to Prepare for the Future · National Institute on Aging, NIH, content reviewed 1 February 2023
Make, register or end a lasting power of attorney · GOV.UK, no date shown
Appointed decision-makers · My Aged Care, Australian Government, no date shown
Palliative care: Preparing and deciding · Health Canada, date modified 23 November 2023

Facts about health, law and services in this guide are paraphrased from these pages, read on 1 November 2026. Where a source describes one country's rules, check your own country's official service.

This guide is general information. It is not medical, legal or financial advice. Rules and services differ by country and state, so check with a qualified professional about your situation.