"In Case of Emergency" forms/plans/binder?

[DragonFaerie]

I'm not even sure what to call this thread.  I'm a single mom with no family nearby, and I got to thinking the other night about what would happen if something dreadful were to befall me.  What would my kids do? Who would they call who could get here in less than 24 hours? And even then, what would my family do? How would my brother know how to access info on my computer, for example? When my dad died, we had the password to his computer, and it was a godsend. But even with that, there was a still a lot of stuff we had to figure out for my mom.

 

So I started thinking that maybe I need to put together some type of "in case of emergency" household binder so my kids would know where to look if something were to happen to me.  But what would I include in this book?  Are there downloadable forms or something to help me know what information should be included?  What does the Hive think? Do you guys have such a binder/plan?  What should be included?  Where might I look for forms, etc.?  TIA!

 

[regentrude]

We do have a small folder. It contains: 

• our will and power of attorney
• contact information for next of kin - my parents, sister, BIL - with addresses, phone numbers,instructions how to make international phone call. 
• a list of all bank accounts

In our will, we have designated a guardian for our minor children, and a financial curator (I forgot what the exact term is) for any child under the age of 21.

The kids always knew where the folder was and what it looked like and what to do with it.

[TechWife]

My sister, also a single mom, although her children are grown now, has told me that she has a spiral notebook with pertinent information in it and all of her children know where she keeps it. In your case, it might work out well to have a similar notebook and make sure your kids and a couple of other adults know where to find it (even family who lives away often come in an emergency). At their ages, your children would not be able to conduct any business and would need an adult to step in to help. 

 

The important things for your kids to know are that they can call 911 if you fall ill at home and which adult in your family they need to notify (and how to notify them) that you are ill. The adults should take it from there. 

 

You can make a list similar to this and tape it to your refrigerator: 

 

Emergency Contacts: 

Jane Doe, mother, power of attorney (111-234-5678)

Jessie Doe, friend who can babysit in emergency (111-123-4567)

John Doe, children's father (111-234-5655)

Employer name, supervisor name, supervisor phone number (111-678-9123)

 

Then Jane Doe could know where to look for a notebook (in your nightstand drawer, for example). The notebook would have a something similar to this: 

 

There is a file cabinet in my bedroom closet. You will find the following things there:

 

Health Information File: 

brief medical history (surgeries, chronic conditions),

Name and phone number of my primary care physician;

brief medical history for each child along with their primary care physician's name & phone number

your advance directive

 

Medical Insurance is with Getwell People, policy and coverage information filed in cabinet under company name

 

Legal Documents file:

power of attorney

advance directive*

will

birth certificates (yours and children's)

any marriage certificates (even if the marriage is already dissolved)

any divorce decrees and custody papers

social security cards or list of the numbers  (yours and your children's)

 

*yes, put the advance directive in more than one place, it needs to be easy to find.

 

Military Documents file: 

Discharge Paper

VA Hospital Policy Number

Any other VA benefit information

Pension Information

 

Insurance Policies (each in a file with the company name): 

Getwell People Medical Insurance

Lifelong Life Insurance

Gimpy Short Term Disability Insurance

Newroof Insurance Company (Home owners insurance)

 

Utility Bills (each in a file with the company name): 

Electric: Buzzy Power Company 

Gas: Keep Warm Gas Company

Water: City of Love Water Company

Phone: Talkative Communications

 

Financial Information: 

Security Savings and Loan (checking account, safety deposit box)

401K (Employer Based)

College Funds (name of financial institutions)

Mortgage Company Information (or Leasing Company if renting)

 

Passwords to online accounts, etc. can be written on the inside of the relevant file folders. 

 

I am taking care of my parent's financial affairs, and I have needed all of the information listed above in the past nine months (including their marriage certificate, even after 60+ years of marriage). 

Edited September 14, 2016 by TechWife

[justasque]

I have a notebook I've kept for years.  The info is in a Word document, and I print it out once a year.  During the year, I write info into it, then the info gets typed once a year when it's time to print it out again.   It is at heart a phone/address book, but includes all kinds of useful things I jot down as I go through my year.  I have sections for vehicles, car insurance, doctors, medications, health insurance, utilities including who to call when the power goes out, the neighbor's phone numbers, pointe shoe size & style, kids' SAT scores and testing dates, and lots of other stuff.  It didn't start out with that much detail; it's grown organically over many years.  Because it's a Word document, it's easy to print out an abbreviated version for kids living away from home, to take when travelling, and so on.   

[J-rap]

I've been thinking that I really need to do something like this too.  Thanks for the reminder and the good suggestions.

[Guest]

We have he information mostly in a box and each other's master password to our password vaults, but if we both died it would be a pain for anyone else to piece together the information to properly help the kids. This is a really good topic to think about and I'm going to chat with my husband about condensing the information and making it accessible to the kids and our executors more easily.

[Pawz4me]

We have a filing cabinet (looks like a piece of furniture) and a lock box. All of our important documents, including log ins and passwords for online accounts, are in those. The files are clearly marked and only the most recent and most pertinent documents are there (no extra, useless clutter for someone to have to sort through) Since the boys were small they've known that, and where the key to the lock box is, and which family member they're supposed to provide that information to in case of an emergency. All of our family are local and the boys have known how to call them since they were old enough to know how to use a phone. We trust all of them, so the boys could have provided the important info to any of them. But they knew my brother (who is the executor of our wills and named as their guardian) was the really important one. We're at the point, though, that we need to start rethinking some things. Oldest is almost 21 and youngest is almost 18. They're adults (how did that happen?)! 

[DragonFaerie]

Thanks, everyone!  Looks like I have some work to do. 

[Twigs]

Found some great resources to help getting together and organizing the info for an emergency binder.

 

The Big Book of Everything

Red File

Legacy File

ICE Book

 

[bethben]

We moved to our location about 18 months ago.  About 6 months ago, I asked someone I knew not really well, but well enough to know her character if she could be my emergency contact.  She happily agreed.  I gave her a list of numbers that she should call and who would come here to help with my kids as soon as they could get a plane out here.  I would suggest you find someone that seems trustworthy and caring to give your information to in case of an emergency --- someone that could be "you" for a short time until the other contacts could be made.  

[DragonFaerie]

We moved to our location about 18 months ago.  About 6 months ago, I asked someone I knew not really well, but well enough to know her character if she could be my emergency contact.  She happily agreed.  I gave her a list of numbers that she should call and who would come here to help with my kids as soon as they could get a plane out here.  I would suggest you find someone that seems trustworthy and caring to give your information to in case of an emergency --- someone that could be "you" for a short time until the other contacts could be made.  

 

Luckily, we have a couple of friends who would be happy to help, including a neighbor right across the street.  I also have a very good friend who agreed to be the go-to person for the kids, who will come and stay with them and be "me" until someone else can get here. But, he wouldn't know anything about my bank or calling my work or how to reach my family or things like that.  Hence the binder. 

[Pippen]

I added a front page to my file listing the information needed to fill out a death certificate for myself and my husband. My kids didn't grow up around extended family and I'm not certain they would get the spellings correct, much less our places of birth. 

[City Mouse]

I just happened to be on the fema website and there was a link to a document call "Financial First Aid Kit". It is really a list of all the important information needed in case of a serious emergency.