Guides for families caring for an aging parent

Practical, printable checklists for the moments that catch families out: the ER visit, the hospital discharge, the medication list nobody has, and the documents nobody can find. Written in plain English, with sources.

• What to bring to the ER with an elderly parent

  A printable checklist of what to bring to the ER with an aging parent: medication list, allergies, insurance cards, healthcare proxy and comfort items.

• How to make a medication list for an elderly parent

  What a parent's medication list should include, a free printable template, and how to keep it current after appointments and hospital stays.

• Hospital discharge checklist: what to ask before a parent comes home

  Questions to ask before an aging parent leaves the hospital: medication changes, follow-ups, equipment, warning signs, and what to do if discharge feels unsafe.

• Vial of Life and File of Life: a fridge medical form for a parent

  What the Vial of Life and File of Life are, what to write on the form, where the stickers go, where to get one free, and how to keep it current.

• Important documents for aging parents: what to have and where it is

  Checklist of documents for aging parents: healthcare POA, HIPAA release, advance directive, DNR/POLST, financial POA, will. Where originals are and who has copies.

• How to make a caregiver binder (medical binder) for an aging parent

  What goes in a caregiver or medical binder for an elderly parent, section by section, and how to keep it short enough to finish. Front-page checklist included.

• Caring for an aging parent with siblings: how to share the information and the work

  How siblings, including long-distance ones, can share an aging parent's medical information, split tasks and stay updated without endless group texts.

• Ageing parent in the UK: Message in a Bottle, Lasting Power of Attorney and the information A&E needs

  UK checklist for families of ageing parents: how Lions Message in a Bottle works, the two Lasting Powers of Attorney, finding an NHS number, and A&E essentials.

  UK