“I have no idea what is out there. If dad were to pass, I’m not even sure where to start.”
When I developed The Essential Emergency Binder pages, I thought I was making a useful tool for younger families. And to be sure, young families have used the pages to help their household continue running, even when a parent finds themself in a hospital or other emergency. Additionally, young families have used the pages to make sure that both husband and wife know where all important financial and family documents are located.
However, I was surprised to receive consistent feedback from another group—adults with elderly parents. For some, a parent just passed, and they wished their mom or dad had The Essential Emergency Binder. For others, their parents’ health was declining and sifting through their parents’ accounts and policies will soon be their responsibility.
From this group of adults with elderly parents, I’ve identified five reasons why elderly parents need an emergency binder.
1. Emergency binders reduce stress and concern.
This is a significant benefit of an emergency binder. Adult with elderly parents regularly express concern about a mess of accounts and policies. Thinking about the mess stresses them out. They want simple. They want organized. They want a single place where everything can be found.
2. In case of incapacitation or death, emergency binders help loved one know what insurance policies and financial accounts exist.
While The Essential Emergency Binder pages cover a wide variety of important information, the main concern coming from adults with elderly parents relates to insurance policies and financial accounts. They want to know where to find this information so they can ensure all are properly managed and protected against theft.
3. There are a lot of usernames and passwords out there.
Digital accounts are creating a new stress for adults with elderly parents. Declining cognitive health causes adult children to worry about forgotten accounts, creating an opportunity for identify theft and fraud. For this reason, The Essential Emergency Binder provides documents for digital accounts and their passwords.
4. Family members desire to know loved ones’ funeral preferences.
They want to know what songs to sing, what verses to read, and where their parents preferred to be buried. Knowing this information makes the funeral planning significantly easier on adult children.
5. There needs to be one place where all important documents are found.
An emergency binder should hold copies of all vital family documents. It is a great place to keep a copy of a will, power of attorney, and legal identification. Keep the emergency binder in a secure place, like a fire and water resistant safe. The location and access to this safe must be communicated to the adult children.
If you are an adult with elderly parents, I want to encourage you to get The Essential Emergency Binder pages. Walk through the document with them.
And if you have adult children, I also want to encourage you to get the document. Filling out The Essential Emergency Binder pages will be a significant blessing to them. It is truly an act of care for you loved ones.
You can get the pages by simply clicking on the image below.
