Since July is the month when we celebrate the independence we achieved as a county, I thought that would be a good topic for those of us who are caring from older family members – and those of us who will eventually be the older family members.
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The Four Warning Signs of Financial Exploitation
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 readingDrumbeat 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 readingMedical Marijuana and the Elderly Patient
Medical Marijuana is of interest to readers of the Reverse Parenting Blog because it can be used to treat a number of conditions that plague the elderly, and can be used to reduce the total number of medications they are dependent upon. Marijuana (also pot, grass, weed, ganja) are the common names for the Cannabis plant, which has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. In fact, it was commonly used in […]
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Why do we call the website “Reverse Parenting”?
As a doctor who specializes in the care of older adults I speak regularly with the children of my patients. I noticed as I gave them advice and support, that there was no word that describes the special group of people who provide support and care for their own parents. “Caregiver” doesn’t properly encapsulate their unique position—after all, anyone can be a caregiver, but children who provide care to their parents have experiences that are […]
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