What to Put in a Dementia Care Binder (North Austin Checklist)
Most families do not plan to make medical and legal decisions in a hurry. But dementia can force speed.
Gathering key documents early does not mean you are giving up. It means you want fewer emergencies, fewer arguments, and clearer decision-making later.
Below is a practical checklist for North Austin families, with Texas-specific forms where appropriate. This is educational, not legal advice. If you need help completing documents, consider an attorney familiar with elder law in Texas.
If you do nothing else, gather:
- Medical Power of Attorney (Texas form)
- Statutory Durable Power of Attorney (Texas form)
- Advance directive or living will style document
- Emergency contacts, medication list, insurance cards
- Copies shared with the people who will need them
Why this matters in dementia
Alzheimers.gov and the Alzheimer’s Association both emphasize planning early because dementia can affect decision-making over time and families often need legal tools to act on someone’s behalf.
NIA also notes that to prevent serious money problems as dementia progresses, families may need legal arrangements to take charge of finances, ideally set up while the person can still consent.
Document checklist for North Austin families
1) Medical Power of Attorney (health care agent)
This names the person who can make health care decisions when your loved one cannot.
Texas Health and Human Services provides the Medical Power of Attorney form and explains its purpose. NIA explains the role of a health care proxy in advance care planning. Click here to access the Medical Power of Attorney form.
2) Statutory Durable Power of Attorney (financial decisions)
This authorizes an agent to handle property and financial matters.
Texas HHS provides the statutory durable power of attorney form and describes what it is for. Alzheimers.gov also describes durable power of attorney for finances as part of planning after diagnosis. Click here to access the statutory durable power of attorney form.
3) Advance directive / directive to physicians (end-of-life preferences)
Advance directives help communicate care preferences if someone cannot speak for themselves. NIA provides an overview of advance directives and how they work. Click here for details on setting up end-of-life preferences.
4) Out-of-Hospital DNR (only if it fits your loved one’s wishes and medical situation)
Texas provides an Out-of-Hospital DNR form through state health resources. This is not for everyone. It is a values-based and medical decision. Click here to access the Out-of-Hospital DNR form.
5) “Care binder” documents families forget until they need them
Gather:
- ID, insurance cards, Social Security information
- Medication list and pharmacy contact
- List of diagnoses and clinicians
- Allergies
- Hospital preferences
- A one-page “how to help me” sheet (routines, triggers, calming strategies)
Make the paperwork actually work for you
Having the documents is a great start. The goal is to set them up so they’re easy to find, easy to use, and accepted quickly when something happens.
- Name backups. If your first choice cannot serve, you need a second person.
- Make copies and share them. Give them to your proxy/agent, and keep one accessible.
- Bring a copy to appointments. It reduces delays and confusion.
- Review yearly. Dementia care plans shift.
Before a crisis, it helps to talk it through
If you’re in Travis County and you’re trying to plan before a crisis, you are doing the right thing. Planning early often protects the relationship, not just the paperwork.
If you’re in North Austin and you want help organizing next steps, Sundara can help you think it through clearly. Our owners have personal experience with loved ones living with dementia, and they can walk with you through the whole process from start to finish, including what documents to gather and how to plan for safer care. Click here to schedule a call.