Start with a conversation, then gather ID and insurance cards, a medication and doctor list, any health care proxy or living will, any financial power of attorney, and a list of income and bills. Next, ask about permission forms, such as Medicare's CMS-10106 and IRS Form 8821, so organizations can talk with you.
Sources: National Institute on Aging: Getting your affairs in order checklist; Medicare: Other forms (CMS-10106); IRS: About Form 8821. Sources checked 2026-10-15.
When you start helping a parent with health or money, the paperwork can look endless. You don't need all of it at once. Start with the handful of papers that let you answer a doctor's question, pay a bill on time, or get a company to talk to you. The rest can come over the next few weeks.
This guide is general information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. Your parent's own wishes come first, and the rules for many documents differ by state.
Going through someone's drawers without asking rarely goes well. Sit down with your parent and ask where things are, rather than collecting the papers yourself. Many people find it easier to say "here's where it is" than to hand everything over.
The National Institute on Aging suggests keeping important papers in one place, telling someone you trust where to find them, and giving permission in advance for doctors, lawyers, insurers, and banks to talk with a caregiver. Doing that last part may mean signing a form for each one.
These answer most of the urgent questions:
Organizations generally need your parent's permission before they'll discuss an account with you, even though you're family. Each one has its own process.
| Who | What to ask for | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare | Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information (CMS-10106), on Medicare's forms page | Lets Medicare talk to someone your parent chooses about their claims and health records. It's permission to share information, not authority to make decisions. |
| IRS | Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization | Lets your parent name any person to see or receive their tax information for the tax types and years listed on the form. |
| IRS (representation) | Form 2848, Power of Attorney | Lets someone represent your parent before the IRS. That person must be eligible to practice before the IRS, which usually means a tax professional. |
| Doctors, banks, insurers | Each one's own release or authorization form | Ask each office what it needs. A power of attorney may also need to be on file. |
For government benefit checks, such as Social Security or VA payments, the agency itself appoints a person to manage them. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau calls these "government fiduciaries" and has a free plain-language guide for that role, plus guides for people named in a power of attorney, trustees, and court-appointed guardians.
Once the urgent pieces are in place, note the location of:
Our end-of-life planning checklist and emergency binder guide go deeper on each of these.
One labeled folder or binder with five tabs is enough: ID and insurance, health, legal, money, home. Put the date on the front and update it after any hospital stay, move, or new diagnosis. If siblings are helping, agree on who holds the folder and who has copies, so nobody works from an old version.
Want the fillable pages? The Aging Parent Paperwork Bundle puts three of our products in one download: the 53-page Just-in-Case Planner for people, papers, and accounts, the Is a DNR Right for Me (or My Parent)? guide and workbook, and the Funeral Program & Obituary Kit.
General information for families. Not legal, medical, financial, or tax advice. Forms and rules differ by state and by organization. For powers of attorney, wills, and medical documents, use official forms or talk with a qualified professional.
Updated 2026-10-15.