When you need to take care of your older parents, it can be a drain on your emotions and your finances. I know this from first-hand experience. After a massive stroke, which left my intelligent mother permanently confused, I cared for her for eight years. I found her a nursing home after her hospital stay. But after 6 months, she begged me to take her out.
I did, finding her an apartment and a series of home-health-care aides to watch over her. Eventually, Babe (my mom) needed round-the-clock care, and we found a good nursing home for her. During all this, I had to manage her finances. I was an only child, and all the other relatives were dead, so in some ways, this made things a little easier. But I worked in NYC and later had a baby, so I had demands on my time.
My experience is one reason I have become so involved with Aging in Place in Darien. It's also why I found this article in the New York Times --
Taking Care of Parents Also Means Taking Care of Finances,
By WALECIA KONRAD,
to be of interest. It's really important to pay attention to finances because people are living longer, and paying for long-term care can really tap resources.
The article is good because it explores lots of facets of caring for aging parents.
Take a look --
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/health/19patient.html