Forms
How to Use Lakeside Personal Emergency Information Kit
The forms on this website were developed specially for expat
residents of the Lake Chapala area. They will help you compile information that
your spouse, close friends, or trusted local contacts can use to manage your
care, your household affairs, or your estate if you unexpectedly die or become
incapacitated and unable to communicate.
The forms request information such as names, addresses, account numbers, and more, which may take you a bit of time to compile. Depending on how many of the forms you want to complete, the process may take a few hours. However, in a time of need, those who must immediately assume your care or begin processing your estate will be better equipped to handle their responsibility smoothly.
Note: These forms only contain information that would be useful in coping with certain practical demands if you died or had a health emergency. They have no legal force and do not take the place of a will, power of attorney, medical advance directive, or other such documents.
What to Do With These Forms
The Lakeside Personal Emergency Information Kit is divided into 10 sections, which you can download, fill out, and print separately.
Forms 1–4 do not include confidential information and are meant to be shared with your local family or trusted local contacts. These forms are as follows:
1. Your Personal Information (1 page)
2. Next of Kin and Local Contacts (2 pages)
3. Pets and Livestock (2 pages)
4. Household Staff Information (2 pages)
Forms 5–9 require confidential information, as follows:
5. Real Property and Vehicles (2 pages)
6. Bank, Investment, and Trust Accounts (2 pages)
7. Medical and Health Information (3 pages)
8. Utilities (3 pages)
9. Internet and Electronic Devices (1 page)
Once completed and printed, keep Forms 5–9 in a marked, sealed envelope in an easy-to-access location that you disclose to the trusted local contacts listed on Your Personal Information Form. An obvious spot is a drawer in the work desk you use at home or an unlocked firebox where you keep other important documents. Another suggestion is to place the envelope in a waterproof plastic ziplock bag in the door of your refrigerator. The point is to make the location easily accessible and to tell your trusted local contacts where you have put it.
Form 10 consists of a wallet card and a card for your car glove compartment, on which you can list emergency numbers and other information that would help if you were in an accident and unable to communicate.
You don't need to complete any forms or parts of forms that do not apply to you, such as the pets list or household employee information. You may add notes electronically and make changes or additions by hand to the printed forms so that they fit your needs.
Special thanks are due to Mary Prudhomme for initially developing these
forms in 2003 as part of the Expat Support Network; to Linda Rambo for updating
them in 2011; and to Ted Lemmings, Mags Petela, and Jim Stork for help in
developing the forms and establishing the website.
All content on this website is copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
The forms request information such as names, addresses, account numbers, and more, which may take you a bit of time to compile. Depending on how many of the forms you want to complete, the process may take a few hours. However, in a time of need, those who must immediately assume your care or begin processing your estate will be better equipped to handle their responsibility smoothly.
Note: These forms only contain information that would be useful in coping with certain practical demands if you died or had a health emergency. They have no legal force and do not take the place of a will, power of attorney, medical advance directive, or other such documents.
What to Do With These Forms
The Lakeside Personal Emergency Information Kit is divided into 10 sections, which you can download, fill out, and print separately.
Forms 1–4 do not include confidential information and are meant to be shared with your local family or trusted local contacts. These forms are as follows:
1. Your Personal Information (1 page)
2. Next of Kin and Local Contacts (2 pages)
3. Pets and Livestock (2 pages)
4. Household Staff Information (2 pages)
Forms 5–9 require confidential information, as follows:
5. Real Property and Vehicles (2 pages)
6. Bank, Investment, and Trust Accounts (2 pages)
7. Medical and Health Information (3 pages)
8. Utilities (3 pages)
9. Internet and Electronic Devices (1 page)
Once completed and printed, keep Forms 5–9 in a marked, sealed envelope in an easy-to-access location that you disclose to the trusted local contacts listed on Your Personal Information Form. An obvious spot is a drawer in the work desk you use at home or an unlocked firebox where you keep other important documents. Another suggestion is to place the envelope in a waterproof plastic ziplock bag in the door of your refrigerator. The point is to make the location easily accessible and to tell your trusted local contacts where you have put it.
Form 10 consists of a wallet card and a card for your car glove compartment, on which you can list emergency numbers and other information that would help if you were in an accident and unable to communicate.
You don't need to complete any forms or parts of forms that do not apply to you, such as the pets list or household employee information. You may add notes electronically and make changes or additions by hand to the printed forms so that they fit your needs.
Special thanks are due to Mary Prudhomme for initially developing these
forms in 2003 as part of the Expat Support Network; to Linda Rambo for updating
them in 2011; and to Ted Lemmings, Mags Petela, and Jim Stork for help in
developing the forms and establishing the website.
All content on this website is copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
How to Get Your Forms
1. The 10 forms with download instructions are available here.
2. If you want to save the forms on your computer...
Windows PC users will need to download and install the free Nuance PDF Reader, a small, secure program file.
With Nuance, you can return to work on your forms time and again to complete or update your information. To download the free Nuance PDF Reader now, click here.
If you are a Mac user, clicking on a form will open it in Safari. Click File > Save as, and the file will save as a PDF. Open the form with the Preview.app program.
3. If you do NOT want to save the forms on your computer (PC and Mac users)...
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. It's probably already installed on your computer, but if not, you can download it for free here.
Acrobat allows you to save a blank form in your computer and then print it to fill in by hand.
With Acrobat, you also can fill in a form on your computer, but you must do so completely, right away when you open the form, and then print your completed form before closing the file, because a form with data in it cannot be saved with Acrobat.
For more information about downloading, installing, and using these PDF readers, check our FAQ page.
