The Legal Stuff

Where to keep these documents — accessibility matters in emergencies

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your mother called at ten at night. She'd fallen. She thought she might have broken her

The Legal Stuff

POLST and MOLST forms — medical orders that travel with the patient

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your father has been declining for months. His dementia is progressing. He has heart disease. He's

The Legal Stuff

What happens if there's no power of attorney — the guardianship path

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your mother had a stroke. She survived, but the stroke left her unable to manage her own affairs.

The Legal Stuff

DNR orders — what they mean and how they work

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. The call came in the middle of the night. Your mother had collapsed at home. The paramedics arrived,

The Legal Stuff

HIPAA authorization — getting legal access to their medical information

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. You called your parent's doctor with a simple question: how did the lab results come back?

The Legal Stuff

Living wills explained — putting their wishes on paper

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Living Wills Explained: Putting Their Wishes on Paper Your parent is seventy-eight years old and has a heart

The Legal Stuff

Advance directives — the documents that speak when they can't

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Advance Directives: The Documents That Speak When They Can't An advance directive is an umbrella term

The Legal Stuff

Healthcare power of attorney vs. financial power of attorney — they're different

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Healthcare Power of Attorney vs. Financial Power of Attorney: They're Different If you've started

The Legal Stuff

When to get power of attorney — the window is smaller than you think

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. When to Get Power of Attorney: The Window Is Smaller Than You Think The idea is usually the

The Money Maze

The long-term financial plan — mapping costs across years of care

You're sitting across from your parent's doctor, and they're saying things like "he could live another ten or fifteen years" or "we'll need to manage her medications carefully going forward." And all you can think is: ten or

The Legal Stuff

Power of attorney explained — the document you need before you need it

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Power of Attorney Explained: The Document You Need Before You Need It You're standing in a

The Money Maze

Prescription assistance programs — reducing the medication bill

Your parent's pharmacy bag is thick with bottles. Medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis, diabetes, anxiety, sleep. Some cost twenty dollars a month. Others cost hundreds. Your parent's Medicare covers some of it, but with deductibles and copayments, they're still spending more on medications