Barbara Kate Repa

Caring.com Senior Editor

About

Barbara Kate Repa, a lawyer and journalist, has devoted her career to editing and writing about legal issues for consumers. Shes the author of WillMaker (Nolo), best-selling software that enables consumers to write their own wills, healthcare directives, powers of attorney, and final arrangements. Shes also an instructor for AIDS caregivers, teaching about legal end-of-life issues and funeral planning, and she recently wrote the content for a website for those searching for long-term care in California.

Early in life, Barbara Kate forged a deep relationship with her grandmother, who taught her the enduring and addictive skill of knitting. New to California twenty years ago, she sought out friendships with older people -- and found hundreds of them when she became president of the Bay Area Funeral Society, a feisty consumer group aiming to stamp out abuses in the funeral industry. She is the resource to whom friends turn first for advice on dealing with legal and personal care issues for aging parents and disabled spouses and partners.

Barbara Kate can be reached at brepa@caring.com.

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Friday February 03, 2012

    1. How do I get half of everything when brother (executor) is already taking personel property?

      Answer - It must feel as if your brother is stealing by making off with your mom’s property, and even encouraging his son to take freely, too. And unless there is some document giving him authority to dispose of your mom’s property during her lifetime, such as a trust or specially worded power of attorney foy for finances, then he is stealing...

  2. Thursday February 02, 2012

    1. What can be done to someone who has abused his power as legal guardian of my grandmother?

      Answer - Something about this doesn’t seem right. It sounds as if you need more facts—and possibly, someone from the outside to step in from the outside and make sure that the right thing gets done.

    2. If my name is on my deceased mom's bank account, can I deposit check written out to her?

      Answer - Oddly, the answer might depend on the person and personality at the bank or other institution—and exactly how you held the power to deal with your mom’s money.

  3. Friday January 13, 2012

    1. A Caregiver's Guide to Mediators

      Article - Experienced mediators help people resolve conflicts, including family arguments about caregiving. How to find and what to pay for a mediator.

    2. A Caregiver's Guide to Visiting Physicians

      Article - Visiting physicians make house calls for those unable to get to a doctor's office. How to find visiting physicians, and what to expect to pay. 3 Comments

    3. A Caregiver's Guide to Personal Emergency Response Systems

      Article - A personal emergency response system (PERS) can provide peace of mind as well as crucial aid. How a PERS works, how to choose one, and what to pay.

  4. Monday January 09, 2012

    1. A Caregiver's Guide to In-Home Care

      Article - In-home care refers to various services individuals or agencies give to elder adults living at home. What in-home care is and how to find it.

    2. A Caregiver's Guide to Hospice Care

      Article - Hospice care supports those facing death as well as their families and friends. What hospice provides and how to find hospice care in your area.

    3. A Caregiver's Guide to Elder Law Attorneys

      Article - Elder law attorneys cover a range of legal issues affecting older adults and their families. What to expect from and how to find elder law attorneys.

    4. A Caregiver's Guide to Live-in Care

      Article - Live-in caregivers can provide essential help to those needing care, and to their families. What to expect from and how to find a live-in caregiver.

  5. Thursday November 17, 2011

    1. Respite Care: How to Arrange Breaks From Caregiving

      Article - Backup help and time "off" can be godsends to caregivers. Here, 8 types of respite care: what to expect from each service, and how to find them. 1 Comment

    2. A Caregiver's Guide to Transportation Services

      Article - Many groups offer transportation to older adults and those with disabilities. Learn about different transportation services and how to find them.

    3. A Caregiver's Guide to Meal Delivery and Preparation Services

      Article - Meal delivery services bring prepared, nutritious meals to the homes of older adults. Learn more about meal delivery services and where to find them. 1 Comment

    4. A Caregiver's Guide to Geriatric Care Managers

      Article - Geriatric care managers can help coordinate a variety of types of needs for older adults. Learn what they do, what they cost, and where to find them. 1 Comment

    5. A Caregiver's Guide to Adult Day Services

      Article - Adult day services provide care and activities outside the home. Find out what they provide, what they cost, and how to find a facility near you.

  6. Monday November 07, 2011

    1. Can I get another power of attorney signed for my parent that will void the pervious one?

      Answer - You might be able to do this. Under most state laws, the power of attorney that is completed and signed most recently cancels out any previous document. You might also be able to contest the earlier document if you can

  7. Thursday November 03, 2011

    1. If something happened to my step-mother, could my step-brother sell dad's house as his power of attorney?

      Answer - A person authorized to act on another’s behalf under a power of attorney only has the power to act in that person’s best interests—not to empty a bank account and sell a house if that move doesn’t make sense for the homeowner. That bit of knowledge alone may help assure you that the stepmother’s soner’s son is not free to loot and pillage at will...

  8. Wednesday November 02, 2011

    1. If I become my husband's guardian, do I have the legal right to move him?

      Answer - Generally speaking, there are at least two types of guardianships. One, a guardian of finances, allows a person to manage and spend another person’s money, as long as it is spent for the owner’s care and well-meaning and managed with his or her best interests as the prime control.

    2. Do I need a lawyer to change the executor to my will?

      Answer - Your question underscores a very important reality: Most people are content to pat themselves on the back once they’ve completed a will. But the truth is that life and people are dynamic, so the best advice has always been to take a stern eye to a will periodically—every year or so—to make sure it se...

  9. Saturday October 22, 2011

    1. Am I entitled to my husband's property if he dies and my name isn't on the deed?

      Answer - The answer depends on a few more facts—such as where you live, when the husband took ownership of the property, and whether he has a will that addresses the property.

  10. Monday October 17, 2011

    1. If I get my mother with Alzheimer's declared "incompetent," will I be able to sell her home?

      Answer - The lawyer may be right that you have no authority to you’re your mother’s home and car if you have only been appointed an agent for her medical care.

    2. Should I ask for power of attorney over my father and his caregiver?

      Answer - Keep in mind that a person must finalize and sign a power of attorney that appoints another to act for him or her. So both your dad and your mother-in-law, his caregiver, would need to be mentally sound to make documents for themselves.

    3. Is my family's financial abuse of me illegal?

      Answer - It does sound as if the actions your daughter has taken—hacking into your accounts without your permission and spending your money on herself rather than in your best interests—could amount to financial abuse, which is illegal.

    4. Can I override the medical decisions that Dad's power of attorney is making?

      Answer - It is unusual—and troubling—that the person named as agent in a power of attorney for healthcare would ignore the principal’s specific wishes for care.

    5. How can I get legal control over my step-dad if he won't sign power of attorney forms?

      Answer - For you to be named as your father’s agent in a power of attorney, it would be necessary for him to complete and sign the POA paperwork—and to have the capacity to know the nature of the document and what it means.