The Caregiving Conversation: Are Advisors Asking the Right Questions?

Caregiving can have significant implications for a family’s finances, retirement plans and overall well-being, but how often does it become part of the financial planning conversation before a family is already facing it? At the 2026 Acuity Conference for Distinguished Advisors, Erin Roy, CFP®, Principal and Market Leader for Western Canada at Edward Jones, will lead a discussion on the financial realities of caregiving alongside Jack Groucott, CFP®, Financial Advisor and Planner, and Liz da Mata, CFP®, DFSA™, Financial Advisor. The session, sponsored by Edward Jones, takes place November 24 in Victoria, B.C.

What Does Caregiving Really Cost a Family?

Titled “The Caregiving Conversation: What the Data Tells Us and What Families Need to Hear,” the session will use data and real-life stories to examine an issue the agenda says simply “doesn’t happen enough”: meaningful discussion about the financial aspects of caregiving.

The conversation will explore what caregiving costs, what it demands and what it means for families currently supporting vulnerable family members. That makes the topic particularly relevant for advisors: caregiving responsibilities can become an important consideration when helping families think about their resources and future plans.

Bringing Caregiving into the Client Conversation

The practical takeaway is a good one for advisors: caregiving may be a conversation they need to initiate rather than wait for clients to raise.

The session is designed to provide advisors with data supporting the importance of having the Caregiving Conversation with every family they work with, while helping them better understand the realities families may be navigating behind the numbers.

That also fits into the broader theme of Day 2 at Acuity, “Know Your Client – Value Reflection.” The day’s agenda moves through business succession, intergenerational wealth transfer, cross-border planning, caregiving, philanthropy and practice value—looking at the increasingly interconnected issues affecting families and the advisors who serve them.

The Bottom Line

Caregiving can change a family’s priorities, responsibilities and financial needs. Understanding those pressures—and knowing when to start the conversation—can help advisors gain a fuller picture of what clients and their families may need from their financial plans.

Hear more from Erin Roy, Jack Groucott and Liz da Mata of Edward Jones at the 2026 Acuity Conference for Distinguished Advisors, November 22–24 in Victoria, B.C. The conference brings together thought leaders from across tax, retirement and estate planning, economics, wealth and portfolio management, succession and practice management, with up to 20 CE/CPD credits available.

About Edward Jones

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Visit the Official Conference site to check out the detailed agenda and register by the October 30 early-bird deadline!