My Elder Advocate

Relatives Can Be Paid To Look After Elderly

By VICTORIA E. KNIGHT, Wall Street Journal

Caring for a family member is a responsibility many people bear. It can also be a source of income.

So-called "caregiver agreements" -- formal contracts under which relatives are hired to care for elderly family members -- have been around for a while. But with the economic downturn, more families may be open to entering into such arrangements, some attorneys and caregiver advocates say.

Have You Sat Down to Talk to Mom and Dad Lately? Part II

Early action eases way when it's time to take care for parents' financial affairs By Francine Brevetti.

JACQUELINE MARCELL gave up her job as a vice president for International Video Productions in Southern California and moved back to the Bay Area to take care of her parents when she realized they were suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Have You Sat Down to Talk to Mom and Dad Lately?

While they are often delicate subjects to tackle, the best time to have a frank discussion with aging parents about retirement living options, lifestyle security, implementation of wills and trusts, legal and financial issues, and funeral and burial options is long before you need the information.

Advance Directives: Planning for Important Healthcare Decisions

As a competent adult, you have the right to decide to accept or refuse any medical treatment. "Competent" means you understand your condition and the results your decision may have. As long as you are competent, you are the only person who can decide what medical treatment you want and do not want to receive.