Avoiding Financial Mismanagement When Caring For An Aging Parent

This column discusses a common problem involving adult children with no financial management skills taking over the responsibility of caring for an aging parent with dementia. It is very important to make sure that the person who is named to have power of attorney over financial matters is competent and prepared to handle the complex responsibilities. The person who is named to be a guardian or to have a medical power of attorney also needs to be prepared. There can be terrible consequences for not making sure that the person who is named to handle these responsibilities is competent for the task. This article presents a situation where a person terribly mismanaged the financial affairs of a mother who had dementia. It is extremely important to plan ahead with a competent adviser.

See Carolyn Rosenblatt, Aging Parents And Loss Of Wealth In Widowhood, Forbes, February 5, 2016.