BY: MICHELLE SENGER, CRSP, CISP, TRUST OFFICER
Editor’s Note: The characters and events in this story are fictional, but the lessons behind them reflect situations we commonly help families navigate.
When Janet turned 83, she was still the kind of woman who baked pies for her daughter and planted a garden every spring. Her daughter, Sarah, always said her mother’s mind was “sharp as a tack.”
Over the next few months, things began to shift. First, it was small things, an unpaid bill or two, a misplaced purse, reminder notes scattered throughout the house and forgotten conversations. Then came the day Janet had difficulty speaking, and her cognitive condition declined more noticeably. Sarah realized something deeper was happening.
Years earlier, when Janet was still fully capable, Sarah had gently suggested they set up a financial Power of Attorney (POA). Janet agreed, saying, “It’s just in case. I trust you.” A POA is a legal document a person signs while they still have the mental capacity to understand what they’re doing. It allows them to choose someone— Sarah, in this case—to make certain decisions or take certain actions for them if they cannot.
For a long time, Sarah didn’t need to use it. Janet still paid her own bills, made her own medical decisions, and lived independently. The POA just sat in a folder, quietly waiting.
But now, the time had come.
Sarah began using the POA to pay her mom’s bills, manage her investments, and handle decisions about Janet’s home and lease agreements. It was a difficult shift, but the POA allowed Sarah to step in smoothly and respectfully, just as her mother had intended.
A few months later, life threw Sarah an unexpected challenge. She received a medical diagnosis that would require months of treatment and possibly hospitalization. She knew she wouldn’t be able to manage her mother’s affairs with the attention and consistency Janet needed. The thought of failing her mother weighed heavily on her.
That’s when Sarah reached out to Heartland Trust Company (Heartland).
Heartland had been recommended by a friend who said, “They don’t just manage finances—they take care of people.” When Sarah met with them, she understood what that meant. They listened. They asked about Janet’s life, her values, her routines, and what mattered most to her. They didn’t see Janet as a case file; they saw her as someone’s mother, someone who deserved dignity and compassion.
Heartland explained that they could step in under the existing Power of Attorney, taking over the financial responsibilities Sarah could no longer manage. They also discussed the possibility of a conservatorship—a court-appointed role—if Janet’s needs grew more complex or if additional legal authority became necessary to protect her well-being.
With Sarah’s health uncertain and Janet’s condition continuing to decline, the family and Heartland agreed that a conservatorship would provide the most stability. Heartland assisted Sarah through the court process, ensuring everything was handled with clarity and care.
Once appointed as Conservator, Heartland managed Janet’s finances, coordinated the sale of her house when Janet moved into a long-term care facility, and made sure her bills were paid on time.
Heartland didn’t replace Sarah. They supported her. They became the steady hands she needed during a time when she couldn’t carry everything alone.
In the end, both the POA and the conservatorship played essential roles:
- The POA allowed Janet to choose who would help her when she could no longer help herself.
- The conservatorship ensured she had ongoing protection and professional oversight when her needs became more complex.
- Heartland Trust Company provided compassion, stability, and family like care that made all the difference.
Sarah often said,
“Heartland didn’t just take care of Mom’s finances—they took care of Mom.”
And in the most difficult season of their lives, that care meant everything.
