Estate planning enables someone with Power of Attorney totake over financial management for someone who can’t do the job anymore.Post-death, the executor handles this job for the estate. In real life, managingsomeone else’s finances is incredibly complicated.

My parents, currently ages 88 and 89, split their timebetween residences in Florida and New Mexico. They summer in New Mexico, wherethey can be close to their two eldest children, one of whom is me, the onlydaughter. I’m also the executor for their estate and trust.

The trials of aging are apparent this summer. So many doctorappointments: the primary care physician; the cardiologists (both “plumbers”and “electricians”); the dentist; the endocrinologist; wound care and eyespecialists.

Dad has been diabetic for decades. The feeling in his feetis fading with neuropathy, and saddest of all, he is losing his vision tomacular degeneration. He can barely sign checks, and he can’t see well enoughto handle the financial accounting in his Quicken program. Thankfully, both heand Mom are mentally sharp.

I’ve become Dad’s executive assistant, reading the creditcard and bank statements, paying bills by check and online, replying to emails,and trying to reconcile his complex web of record keeping. It’s a frustratingchallenge.

I’ve used the Quicken program to track my own finances formany years. I’ve kept it pretty simple, even with four different checkingaccounts. I’ll admit there’s a lot I don’t know or use in this program.

Dad has multiple bank accounts to be reconciled against bankand credit card statements as well as the entries in checking account registers.Expenses must be assigned to various rental properties, as well as categoriessuch as medical, groceries, two households, etc. He wants everything to balanceperfectly. In one recent session, we were off by more than $600.

He has a system, but I don’t understand it yet. At least hehas been tracking his finances and there’s a way for me to eventually step into effectively handle them. In this way, his fading eyesight has been ablessing for me as the future executor of the estate.

I feel for those people faced with handling finances forparents who aren’t as organized. How will they know the income, the outgo andthe financial obligations? How will your family know how to handle yourfinances? It’s something to consider as you work with your estate planningattorney to prepare for the future.

Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, is a pioneering death educator who works with companies to connect with baby boomers concerned about end-of-life issues. She speaks at and coordinates multiple Before I Die Festivals. She also is the author of three books on end-of-life issues. She also contributed an essay called “Always Embrace Your Uniqueness” in the new book, 1Habit: 100 Habits from the Happiest Achievers on the Planet. The funeralOne blog recently named her an industry thought leader. Learn more at www.AGoodGoodbye.com or www.BeforeIDieNM.com.