Liz Weston: 3 sites to help aging parents organize details

Certified financial planner Sean Fletcher of San Francisco knew his dad had an estate plan, complete with a health care directive detailing what medical treatment should be given in an emergency. When the father had a massive heart attack, though, no one knew where he kept those documents.

Fletcher's family was lucky: An aunt found the paperwork in a closet. His mother was able to stop treatment according to his father's wishes so that he could die more peacefully.

"Despite her misgivings, I believe this minor miracle gave my mom the confidence to carry out what she had agreed to do," Fletcher says.

It's not enough to be organized and responsible. We need to think about who will be responsible next. Fortunately, there are several sites that can facilitate that transition for our aging parents — and also for ourselves.

In fact, the best way to introduce these sites to your parents may be to use them yourself. That way, you'll be familiar with how they work and can vouch for their helpfulness in getting information to the people who will need it.

WHEALTHCARE

Whealthcare was co-founded by two people who specialize in the areas where health care meets finances: physician-turned-financial-planner Carolyn McClanahan and software developer Chris Heye, whose other company, Cogniscient, develops cognitive and behavioral assessments to aid older people in making sound financial decisions.

Users answer questions on the Whealthcare site, and these assessments are used to create a "financial caretaking plan" that identifies the issues they're likely to face as they age. The service also provides a transition plan that allows trusted people to take over and a customized to-do list to make sure crucial documents are in place. (Powers of attorney allow others to make vital...