As we continue to emerge from the two plus year cocoon of the pandemic, it is apparent that, while we have been fastidious in avoiding exposure to our elderly friends and family, predators have seen this as the perfect opportunity. During the many years I have been working in the field of Elder Law and Guardianship, I have had a handful of cases of financial exploitation. During 2022 I have already had more such cases […]
Continue readingTag Archives: children caring for their parents
Drumbeat of Cost
Amy Goyer is AARP’s family and caregiving expert. She has written two books on the subject and has her own consulting business. “I am a caregiving expert. How did I end up in bankruptcy?” she says. Ms. Goyer depleted her savings and ended up relying on credit cards after being financially drained by costs related to caring for her parents. After more than a decade of caring for her mom, who had a stroke, and […]
Continue readingTHE BENEFITS AND PITFALLS OF SPRINGING POWERS OF ATTORNEY
Often when you see an estate or Medicaid planning attorney, the attorney will include a “springing” power of attorney as part of your Will or Trust package. This is a power of attorney that takes effect at the time of your incapacity or “springs” into effectiveness when needed. Another name for such a power of attorney is a power of attorney to take effect at a future time. The purpose of this document is to […]
Continue readingMEDICARE VS. MEDICAID – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE & WHAT’S COVERED
Written by: Gina-Marie Reitano, Esq. Most of us are familiar with the terms Medicare and Medicaid, but we don’t necessarily know what the difference between them are. In a nutshell, Medicare is something everyone gets, either two years after being declared disabled by the Social Security Administration, or at age 65. This is the standard form of health care for the elderly, although there are many options and many versions, which will be explained […]
Continue readingTV Poisoning
I lost a friend recently. Until his 75th birthday he had been a happy, social person who loved to sing, play guitar, visit friends, and tell funny stories. Over the past two years, I watched him become depressed, uninterested in his old friends and activities, cynical and bitter. At the same time, he lost weight, he didn’t eat, he complained of fatigue and pain, and he didn’t have the energy to walk. What happened? He […]
Continue readingSeniors Serving as Caregivers
The U.S. population is aging, and so are caregivers. Bob Tiller, an 80-year-old retired lobbyist for nonprofits, manages care for his 101-year-old mother. Both live in continuing care communities, he in Silver Spring, Md., and she in western Pennsylvania. If there is an emergency, Mr. Tiller gets the phone call and makes the five-hour drive. “I’m the one who is officially responsible, the one who has to make sure her income taxes are filed, and needs […]
Continue readingWhat is Hospice?
There are many misconceptions about hospice, and these misconceptions deprive people from the compassionate services that Hospice provides to dying patients and their family members. Few things in life are guaranteed, but everyone is absolutely guaranteed to die at some point. Modern medicine has not eliminated death, it has only changed the length and quality of our lives. Hospice improves the quality and dignity of our deaths and helps us to retain our dignity in […]
Continue readingLong Term Care Insurance
Written by Norine Wong Home care and nursing home care are dizzyingly expensive. But how on earth can you put away enough money to pay for them? One answer is Long Term Care Insurance. This is a product that most people have never heard of, which is not surprising considering it is a product that addresses something we never think about in advance. Long Term Care insurance is designed to cover expenses incurred by […]
Continue readingWhat is “Polypharmacy”
It’s no secret that Americans use a lot of medications. Chances are that your parent’s nightstand, TV table, bathroom cabinet, and kitchen are all occupied by bottles of pills. You’re probably thinking, “All these pills can’t be good…” and you would be correct, it isn’t good. Too many medications, which physicians call “Polypharmacy” (poly=many, pharmacy=medications) creates a whole bunch of potential medical problems that add too, rather than cure, patient’s medical issues. First, the more […]
Continue reading“There is nothing so deceptive as an obvious fact.” Sherlock Holmes
What did Sherlock mean when he said that? He meant that it is human nature to want to arrive at answers quickly and easily, and then stop looking for the correct answer. When a crime has been committed, the easiest and most tempting thing to do is accuse the person who looks like a criminal, or who has a previous criminal record. As Sherlock says, the fact that this appears to be the obvious solution […]
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