Being Prepared for the Unexpected Includes Keeping Up with Paperwork

My fear recently became a reality. I spent 44 days in the hospital during December and January. Unfortunately, all my son Jackson’s important paperwork was due during this period. 

Over the years, I have tried keeping good records. I wanted my husband to be able to pick up where I left off if something happened to me. Filing renewals is a big task. I need to make it easy because he is already swamped with his own work. 

I keep paperwork organized in different colored folders for each of the services our son uses. I’m the only one who knows the ins and outs of each program. 

The yearly guardianship paperwork is due in February. I always start working on it in January to avoid delays. 

Because my husband and I are co-guardians, we both have to sign the paperwork. As soon as I left the hospital, we made our way to the lawyer’s office and signed the renewal. It was a little late, but it worked out. 

Jac’s Medicaid Waiver Program paperwork was also due in January. We set up a conference call with his case manager from my hospital room. Thank goodness for Zoom meetings and a very cooperative case manager. They even made a trip to the hospital for me to fill out all the paperwork.

The most important paperwork that came in the mail while I was away was Jac’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) paperwork. It is time-sensitive, much like the Medicaid waiver annual paperwork. This is the one that scares me the most. If I miss it, Jac could lose a vital benefit.

I have made copies of each page of the Medicaid paperwork over the years and placed it in a folder. This paperwork was a new packet that I hadn’t seen before. Luckily, I was able to get it, fill it out and send it in before the due date. I also asked my husband to copy every page to put it in my folder.

I hope you never find yourself in a situation like mine. If you do, I can offer some advice. Know when your renewal paperwork is expected. Open every piece of mail from agencies like the Health and Human Services Commission and the Social Security Administration. 

Keep good records and let someone else know about your filing system. Teach them about renewals. Reach out to your case manager when emergencies happen.

You can learn more about these services on this website.