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Preparing for the inevitable

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Uncle Scotty:
I'm pretty sure Josh was talking about "important" stuff....."account numbers, scheduled payments, scanned copies of important documents".........not Facebook passwords.

Besides, CDRW will go the way of the 8-Track at some point.

Think ahead! The cloud is the place to be if you wanna store digitally.

My 2c.

mouser:
It would be useful if there was some free zip file somewhere that contained a bunch of forms to fill out to cover all of these issues.. A living will, a place to list important passwords, etc.

40hz:
It would be useful if there was some free zip file somewhere that contained a bunch of forms to fill out to cover all of these issues.. A living will, a place to list important passwords, etc.
-mouser (July 13, 2012, 09:10 AM)
--- End quote ---

The rules may vary slightly from state to state so you'll need to do a search for forms on that basis. For example, New York forms can be found here.

One thing...no matter what anybody tells you about witnesses - have a notary witness your signature of the document. It's some inconvenience and a few bucks (~$5) well spent. Having that official seal completely removes any legal question that you signed the document. With simple witness signatures and no notary seal it can still be called into question.
 :)

Addendum:

Fannie Mae publishes something called the Elderkit in PDF format. It's a collection of forms and info that is worth downloading and filling out if you're responsible for the care of an aging parent or relative. Get it here.

Most of the forms can be used as is, or serve as an outline for your own important personal information collection. So print out an extra copy for your own info while you're at it.

P.S. I just had my mother unexpectedly end up in the hospital a few weeks ago. (She's now home and fine BTW.) Although I had most of the information and documents I needed, there were a few things I didn't have. And that added greatly to the stress I experienced with her being there. Going home and frantically digging through personal papers is the last thing you need when you're worried about somebody.

So download this little book and get it filled in this weekend.

IainB:
It would be useful if there was some free zip file somewhere that contained a bunch of forms to fill out to cover all of these issues.. A living will, a place to list important passwords, etc.
-mouser (July 13, 2012, 09:10 AM)
--- End quote ---
Also, you could try this list (from a Google search) - here.

longrun:
I'm coming to this post rather late but will share my experience. I took care of my mother for several years before she died. To be prepared for emergencies (and there were many) I always carried a flash drive with TrueCrypt-protected copies of her advance directive, power of attorney, POA for healthcare, photo ID, Medicare card, etc. A couple of weeks before my mother died I had to prove that I had the authority to determine who could be at her bedside in the ER, and my drive did the trick. Institutions will of course be reluctant to pop flash drives into their computers, but if the issue is whether you have the authority to make life or death decisions someone will find a way to view the files.

On the same drive I keep encrypted copies of my driver's license, insurance cards, home insurance policy, etc. If I lose my wallet 500 miles from home or my house burns down I'm reasonably well protected. You decide what level of protection you need.

The original post was about a somewhat different purpose but the principle is the same. Flash drives are more reliable and obsolescence-proof than CDs, but they can break. Buy sturdy ones, back them up, and test them periodically.

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