Barbara Kate Repa, senior editor

Barbara Kate Repa, a lawyer and journalist, has devoted her career to editing and writing about legal issues for consumers. An instructor for caregivers, teaching about legal end-of-life issues and funeral planning, she recently wrote the content for a website for those searching for long-term care in California.

Compelled by an interest in consumer stakes in both the legal and practical aspects of death and dying, Barbara Kate is the past president of both the Bay Area Funeral Society and the California Funeral Directors Association and is currently an ombudsman advocate in nursing homes.

She is one of the authors of WillMaker (Nolo), best-selling software that enables consumers to write their own wills, healthcare directives, powers of attorney, and final arrangements, available at http://www.nolo.com/products/quicken-willmaker-plus-WQP.html.

Barbara Kate can be reached at brepa@caring.com.

Why I care

"I have always had a store of older friends and relatives who kept me interested and attuned to their needs -- and a natural affinity for spending time with those who keep their spritely spirits as they age. My mother, age 91, a voracious reader and singer of bawdy song lyrics, helps give a dose of that. Her mother, my grandmother, taught me to knit and appreciate the more meditative aspects of life.

"As a lawyer, I've focused on translating the law for consumers, especially those most in need of help toward the end of life. That led to stints as president of both the local Bay Area Funeral Society and California Funeral Directors Association, both aimed at advocating for consumer rights. I also currently volunteer as an ombudsman in nursing homes in San Francisco, so I get a daily dose of not only the poignant moments involved in aging but the shameful reality of how older and vulnerable individuals are all too often warehoused and forgotten."