Are children of elderly people legally responsible for their parents?

This is a great question. I can only answer this from my own experience. You can take control of finances and medical responsability legally by a POA and medical proxy papers. Having these papers does not make you personally responsable for debts but gives you the legal power to handle issues on the behalf of the person who agreed and giving you power to do so, by signing the papers in front of notary. This is a responsability needed when someone for whatever reason can't handle financial or medical issues for themselves. So as long as decision making is not possible you have legal power for that person in good faith and in best interest and behalf only. You must keep records and proof of all transactions when using this POA. Anything you sign without this legal POA in order and specifically worded in papers to do so may be your responsability. Any funds transfered or unrecorded may be questionable and forced to be repaid. Simply if you sign anything without POA you make yourself responsable so as long as they can sign let them. Without POA in nessasary circumstances someone has to take control if money is owed and medical issues need to be handled the law takes over. Better a loved one has the power and not the law.