In navigating eldercare, many caregivers miss critically important legal issues. Some issues can cause pitfalls if they are not adequately documented and understood. Here are just a few eldercare situations that may involve hidden legal issues:

In previous columns, we discussed in-home care and assisted living facilities, but what happens when your loved one needs long-term continuous care? A nursing home may be the best option.

Last week we looked at the benefits and costs of in-home care for your elderly loved one. But what happens when it is no longer safe for Mom or Dad to stay in their home? It may be time to discuss a move to an assisted living facility.

According to the last U.S. Census report in 2010, 11 million adults age 65 and over (28%) lived alone, and the likelihood of solitary living only increases as people get older. If your elderly relative is living on their own and not to the point of needing a care facility, it’s important to ensure that they aren’t isolated.

It’s natural for elderly people to want to remain in their own homes. After all, they have often lived there for decades and have many memories associated with both the dwelling and the neighborhood. Yet moving to a nursing home or assisted living community sometimes makes the best sense for a person’s health and well-being.

As a caregiver of a loved one, you need to look out for people willing to take advantage of the person you’re caring for. Last week we looked at two such shady characters: the family black sheep and harmful religious groups. This week we’ll round out the list with alcohol abuse enablers and people willing to trade sex for favors.

The Dutch have a saying: “The world is good, but the people could be better.” While some people can be allies in providing care to an elderly loved one, others can be your worst enemies.

Many caregivers who are thrust into their eldercare role look for all the help they can get, especially if their elderly parent or other loved one is suffering from short-term memory loss, declining driving ability, and accidents around the house. But sometimes in their desperation, caregivers—or the one they’re caring for—fall prey to shady characters who don’t have the elderly person’s best interests at heart.

People of all ages can experience transfer trauma (or relocation stress syndrome) when moving to a new home. But the elderly can be particularly susceptible, with severe physical and psychological effects. As a caregiver or caretaker of a loved one, it’s important that you learn about the signs and potential repercussions of transfer trauma so that the impact can be minimized or prevented altogether.

With modern-day advancements in medicine and technology, Americans are living longer, more independent lives. That’s encouraging news, but our growing longevity comes with a dark side: Many older Americans are living increasingly isolated lives.

As parents get older and their health declines, it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore the proverbial elephant in the room, particularly when memory issues are involved. A shift in power occurs in which the child now has to take care of the parent. This is an enormous challenge for the entire family. Even in the best of parent-child relationships, the power shift can be problematic, but when the connection is already strained, it can become extremely hard to deal with.