Advanced Care Plan Checklist

Families have been getting together more and more or just got together over the holidays, and you may have come to learn that some individuals are not doing as well as you thought they were. What do you do now?

Let’s start with a plan. Below we will review some of the key items that need to be addressed when creating your Advanced Care Plan.

The People:

Who all wants to be involved in making these decisions?

Who will have the final say and be the assigned Power of Attorney?

The Documents:

Listed below are documents you may need to complete your Advanced Care Plan. Several of them are linked to share examples or for easy downloading but your family attorney and/or certified public account (CPA) would also have certified documents for you to use.

Advanced Directives

Advanced Directives is the record of the process of Advance Care Planning. Each state has approved forms for this process.

Medical Power of Attorney

A legal document that names one person the health care agent of another person and gives them the ability to make health care decisions on that person’s behalf.   Oklahoma Form         Texas Form

Durable Power of Attorney

A legal document naming one person to remain in control of certain legal, property, or financial matters specifically listed within that document. Oklahoma Form         Texas Form

General Power of Attorney

A legal document naming one person to act on behalf of another person in any matter. This is an all-encompassing authorization where a Medical or Durable POA is limited.   Forms For All States

Medicare / Medicaid Insurance

Medicare is federal health insurance for people 65 or older, younger people with disabilities, or people with end-stage renal disease. Medicaid is health coverage administered by each state and according to federal requirements.

Documents for Trusts or LLCs

Some of these documents could include (1) Articles of Organization also known as Certificate of Organization or Articles of Incorporation, (2) Operating Agreement, and (3) Employee Identification Number (EIN).

Life Insurance Documents

Contact the provider of the policy. If you are unsure of who that is, check with a financial advisor, previous employers, bank statements, previous tax returns, or state insurance departments.

Will and Last Testament

In most cases, executors or possibly beneficiaries have access to this document or at least have the probate court file number. The courthouse may also provide this information by providing the deceased’s name and date of death.

The Organizations:

Speak with your family attorney or CPA to ensure these documents are in place and filed correctly. If you do not have one, we suggest interviewing several and finding one that is a good fit for you and your family’s needs.

Click to download a PDF version of this page that you can use as a checklist during the process.