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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 decisions if we’re incapacitated, for example, and health care directives spell out what life-prolonging measures we do and don’t want.)
Another assessment gauges a person’s risk for fraud, exploitation and bad financial decision-making, and offers recommendations for protecting against those threats. A “proactive aging plan” helps people prepare for transitions in living arrangements, driving and health care decisions, allowing them to document their wishes. A feature called WhealthcareConnect can match people to financial advisers who specialize in issues facing older adults.
The annual cost is $39 for one individual plan, $69 for a couple and $149 for a family plan that includes up to five people.
EVERPLANS
Everplans is an online vault where you can store important documents, contacts, login credentials, instructions on what to do with your social media sites and anything else your family might need to know to handle your affairs. The site offers step-by-step guidance to identify and organize your important information, from insurance policies to pet care plans. If you’re not comfortable uploading something to the site, you can leave instructions to help your family find what they need. You name “trusted deputies” and decide what they can access on the site, and when. You might give one deputy (say, your spouse) access to all the documents while another (perhaps your executor) gets access only after your death.
The service costs $75 per year.
EVERSAFE
EverSafe monitors financial accounts for unusual activity, large transactions and other potential problems. The site alerts you via email, text or automated phone call and can be set up to signal trusted others, as well.
The basic service, which costs $7.49 per month after a 30-day free trial, monitors bank and credit card accounts and the dark web, where your personal information may be for sale. For $14.99 per month, you can add credit monitoring. For $24.99, the site will monitor investment accounts as well. An additional $4.99-per-month service monitors your home and other real estate for new liens or defaults on your property.
I found the dark web monitoring particularly interesting and was surprised at how many of my passwords had been exposed in various breaches. It was good motivation to change my passwords — and to make sure my trusted deputies could access the new ones. Because protecting all my information and accounts won’t do much good if my family can’t find what they need when I’m gone.

The inaugural Coach John Menard Baseball Tournament was held Sunday at the Berwick Civic Complex. All-Star teams competing in ages 7-and-8-year-old action from Morgan City, Thibodaux, Franklin and St. Mary Central participated in the event. The tournament's proceeds were given to the family of Menard. Menard passed away earlier this month
after a battle with cancer.

Morgan City finished 2-0 in its "Rumble in the Jungle" summer Classic, defeating David Thibodaux and White Castle. The Tigers' third game against Ellender was stopped before its completion late in the second half with the Tigers leading by five. Above, Morgan City's Nylan Francis attempts a shot during the team's contest with White Castle.

The Patterson 6U Cal Ripken All-Stars won the state championship in Luling this weekend with a 3-0 mark.
Patterson defeated Iberville 13-2 for the title.
“In the championship game, I think they came out and played their best game,” Patterson Coach Barry Walker Jr. said of his squad.
Patterson started the tournament with an 11-6 victory against Amite before knocking off Iberville 11-3.
No individual stats were available.
“They came out and they played the game that they knew how to play,” Walker said of his team’s performance as a whole. “They had a lot of fun doing it, and that was the main thing. I just told them to go out there and have fun.”
Beau Trevino was named the 6U State Tournament Most Valuable Player. Earlier this postseason, he earned district MVP honors.
Walker is unsure if the team will participate in regionals, which will be held next month in Alabama.
Patterson 8U All-Stars conclude season
The Patterson 8U baseball All-Stars concluded their Cal Ripken postseason with a 2-2 record at the state tournament in Luling this weekend.
After falling to St. Charles 5-0 Thursday, Patterson responded with a 22-13 win against Iberville Friday and a 12-2 victory against Kentwood Saturday morning.
However, the squad was eliminated from the tournament Saturday afternoon after falling to Terrebonne 19-2.
In Thursday’s loss to eventual state champion St. Charles, Rodriguez said all of the balls the team hit were right to St. Charles players.
St. Charles scored all of its runs in the bottom of the third inning, and for the day, outhit Patterson 13-5.
Maden Rodriguez led Patterson with a 2-for-2 performance, while Hayden Walker, Ethan Matte and Aaron Cage each finished 1-for-2.
In its second loss, Rodriguez said, “We had the worst game all weekend against Terrebonne. Nothing went our way. Nothing at all.”
No individual stats were available from the team’s games against Iberville, Kentwood and Terrebonne.
Patterson 10U Softball All-Stars finish third
The Patterson 10U softball All-Stars finished third at the Babe Ruth state tournament at Kemper Williams Park Saturday.
After defeating St. Charles 16-9 in its tournament opener, Patterson fell to the elimination bracket after falling to Jefferson Parish Recreation District West 4-1.
Patterson responded with back-to-back victories, a 20-9 win against Terrebonne and a forfeit victory against East Feliciana, before the squad was eliminated by Jefferson Parish Recreation District West 25-10.
Patterson head coach Jeremy Whipple said his team showed “heart” in their play at the state tournament.
Patterson 12U softball
All-Stars finish 1-2
The Patterson 12U Softball All-Stars finished 1-2 at the Babe Ruth State Softball Tournament at Kemper Williams Park near Patterson this weekend.
Patterson fell in its tournament opener to the Terrebonne Nationals Friday 12-2, defeated the Terrebonne Americans Saturday 20-5 and were eliminated from the tournament later in the day by Jefferson Parish Recreation District East, falling 15-0.
No individual stats were available.
Patterson 8U softball
All-Stars finish 1-2
The Patterson 8U softball All-Stars finished 1-2 at the Babe Ruth State Tournament at Kemper Williams Park this weekend.
Patterson fell to eventual state champion Pierre Part in its tournament opener before defeating Terrebonne in an elimination contest. Patterson’s play in the tournament ended one game later with a loss to Harahan.
No scores or individual stats were available.