For aging adults, maintaining their independence is a highly-valued goal. Families most often take the lead in helping their parents with day to day, health and financial matters, but sometimes a more specialized expert is needed – especially when navigating health care concerns. Enter the Geriatric Care Manager. Want to learn more about who this is and how they can help?

Someone in your family has asked you to be their healthcare proxy. This means they are entrusting you to make legally binding health-related decisions about their medical care in the event they are unable to make those decisions themselves. While it’s an honor to have a family member put this trust in you, you might not know what it actually involves.

When families take the time to talk about long-term plans, it gives everyone the opportunity to make sure things are up to date. Missing or outdated beneficiary designations can steer...

Building a trusted team of advisors to help with legal, financial and healthcare decisions will help by filling gaps in knowledge where they exist to better create a holistic plan.

You’ve scheduled the meeting, drawn up the agenda and invited the relevant family members. Now what?

Even the best financial plan can’t overcome the effects aging have on a person’s ability to make financial decisions. Though people are living healthier for longer, there is already evidence that a person’s financial decision making peaks in their 50s and by age 60, the ability to process...

Studies show how difficult it can be for adult children and their parents to talk about their wishes and plans regarding caretaking, finances, estate planning and legacy issues as they age. While most elderly people don't want to become financially dependent on their children, some four in 10 families...

Turmoil and mistakes could have been avoided with planning, but these are difficult conversations for families. Often, the focus is on money, a topic fraught with emotion. Sibling rivalry and resentments can interfere with setting priorities. Responsibilities need to be divided fairly, but fairness is often a matter of opinion.