A companion to the Before It's Needed workbook — organized into the same five sections, explaining what each piece means, why it matters, and which professional handles what when something is missing. Read it once. Keep it next to the workbook.
Download the Companion Guide — FreeThe workbook is a checklist — five sections, each asking your family to gather what you have. The companion guide explains what you're gathering, why it matters, and what to do about the gaps. Same five sections, in the same order, designed to be read alongside the workbook.
Powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, what each document actually authorizes, and what happens without them. The most urgent section for most families — and the one that costs the most to address after a crisis.
Account access, beneficiary designations, how assets pass, and the tax planning considerations that matter when a senior transition involves selling a home or restructuring assets.
Advance directives, POLST forms, Medicare observation status, and the Medicaid rules families encounter when long-term care becomes necessary. What needs to be documented before a hospitalization forces the conversation.
Which professional handles which problem, what each one does, and how to find a good one. The "who to call when" decision table that routes each gap in the workbook to the right professional.
What to capture in the workbook from the conversations that need to happen — wishes, medical preferences, the home, and who the senior trusts to make decisions on their behalf.
"Read it once, beginning to end. It takes about an hour. Don't try to take action while reading — just absorb the landscape. Then sit down with the workbook."
The companion guide and workbook are designed to be used together, section by section. The fastest way through both:
⭐ Texas families: A Texas-specific edition of this companion guide is available — explaining the same five sections with Texas law context throughout, including Lady Bird Deeds, the Medicaid income-cap rule, and community property planning.
Texas Edition →Five sections explaining what the planning workbook means, why it matters, and who handles what when something is missing.
This is informational guidance, not legal, medical, or financial advice. The right professional matters — and every section of this system tells you who that is.