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 […]
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TV 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 […]
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What happens if Mom or Dad insists on Leaving the SNF?
Nobody wants to be in rehab. But that doesn’t mean that rehab isn’t necessary sometimes, and it doesn’t mean that rehab is bad. It just means that people value their privacy (which isn’t available in SNFs), and they want to be in their own homes. It’s normal. So I view this in three categories: People who want to leave, and are able to care for themselves. People who want to leave but cannot physically care […]
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Pill bottles. Everywhere.
It’s a common sight for those taking care of their parents. But why do older patients have so many pills? It’s not a benign thing either—tens of thousands of elders are sickened or die from drug overdoses, side effects, and interactions every year. So how did mom and dad accumulate all of these drugs, and how do they keep them straight? Well the answer to the second question is easier so we’ll start with that […]
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