The bank holds the account, so the bank decides what paper it will accept before you can pay a bill or deal with a lender for Dad. Rules differ by bank and by state, so treat this as a checklist for the phone call and the branch visit, not as legal advice. A lawyer who works in elder law can tell you what applies to his accounts.
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Know what kind of account you are touching
Pull a recent statement and read the account title exactly as it is printed. An individual account, a joint account with a second owner, a payable-on-death designation, and an account held in a trust each behave differently. A joint owner may be able to act without new paperwork. An individual account usually needs a document Dad signed or a court order. Write the title down word for word.
Ask these five questions before anyone walks in
Call the account service line or go to the branch and ask the following. What document does the bank accept from someone acting for Dad, and does it need the original or a certified copy? Does the bank need Dad to confirm the request, and can that happen by phone or only in person? Can you view statements and balances without moving any money? What happens if Dad objects or changes his mind after the paperwork is filed? Who records the request, and what is the reference number for it?
Compare the answers against the paper you already have
Put the bank's answers beside any signed authority Dad has already given. A document that names a person, states what that person may do, and says when it ends gives the bank what it needs to check. A vague document usually gets sent back for a new one, so find that out before a bill is late.
Write it down as you go
Keep one page with each request, the name of the person who answered, the answer given, and the reference number. Do not pay anything from the account until the answer is on that page. A written trail protects Dad's money, and it protects you if anyone later asks what was done and why.
Your next move: call the bank's account service line this week, ask the five questions, and fill in the page before you touch a single bill. If the answers say the paperwork is not enough, take the page to an elder law attorney before you try again. Start tonight by finding the account title on the most recent statement.