Nearly a quarter of the adult population voluntarily cares for older or sick family members. These numbers are certain to grow as our population ages.

An increasing number of families are taking an unusual step to acknowledge family caregivers. Rather than leave uneven bequests for their heirs, they are entering into formal “caregiver contracts” in which adult children are hired for modest salaries to take care of elderly family members.

These personal-service or personal-care agreements help reward family members for the significant amounts of time, effort and money they often expend in taking care of an elderly relative.

It is important to discuss the terms of a family caregiver contract with all siblings and relatives so they are aware of the arrangements ahead of time. Doing so can help minimize family tensions later. To keep the arrangements on the up-and-up, you should specify what duties the caregiver is expected to perform and then contact local home-care agencies or geriatric-care managers to establish the market value of those services in your local service area.

When life does get tough and the crisis is undeniably at hand, when we must, in an instant, look inward for strength of character to see us through, we will find nothing inside ourselves that we have not already put there.
. . . . Ronald Reagan

There are no secrets to success: Do not waste time looking for them. Success is the result of hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.
. . . . General Colin Powell