Last year, my husband's uncle collapsed and the family sprinted into action to support him. His collapse was the beginning of many months of medical treatment that require much more intervention than his family anticipated. His relatives have, out of necessity, become guardians of his care, his finances and many other decisions that we hope we never have to handle.

This trying, painful situation has had one point of light. It has helped my husband and I talk to our parents about how they would want to be helped in an emergency situation. We've had the opportunity to be honest and practical and get prepared in case we are ever in the place where we need to step in and provide care for our parents.

As hard as those kinds of talks are, in a dire moment, I am sure we'd all rather that our loved ones focus on care rather than hunting through stacks of papers and phone books for insurance information and other pesky but real medical necessities.

Putting together all the information our loved ones may need to know in an emergency is hard work and can take time, energy and emotion. Trust me, it is worth it. By compiling copies of cards, doctor's numbers, lists of prescriptions and basic information like birthdate into one binder or file that is stored in a safe place for a trusted and appointed friend or family member can relieve stress in an emergency and even in anticipating if there might ever be one.

To get the conversation, organization and peace of mind started, take a look at this helpful top ten list of things you need to know about your aging parents and how HIPAA and privacy laws will impact your involvement.