Family Caregiver or Hire – What Are the Considerations?
Deciding when or whether to give up doing tasks on your own or hiring someone or an agency employing someone to do it for you is one of the most unrecognized stressful activities that we are called upon to accomplish on an almost daily basis. According to Canby assisted living and memory care senior living […]
Continue readingEvery Second Marriage Needs An Estate Plan
If you have followed my columns, you know that I rarely use the expressions “always” or “never.” My usual expression is “it depends.” However, I might break that rule in one circumstance and that is regarding second (or subsequent) marriages and the need for an estate plan instead of just Wills. Wills affect only probate […]
Continue readingWhat Happens to Your Debts When You Die?
You might have sizeable debt when you die or you might be totally debt free. In either case your heirs and the Executor of your Will need to know what to do. Here are some guidelines to help. Your debts do not die with you. We all might wish that our credit card debt or […]
Continue readingHow To Protect Yourself From Investment Fraud
Last week I had the opportunity to attend a program conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities where the subject, interestingly, was Recognizing and Reporting Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation Prevention. While the speaker, who is Assistant Counsel for the Department, limited herself primarily to those aspects of investment fraud as handled […]
Continue readingSeniors Still Have Time For Tax Breaks For 2015
As tax time rolls around, we tend to begin looking for tax breaks, deductions and exemptions that eluded us all year round. As one practitioner stated in a recent meeting “at this point I have finished with 2015 and am beginning the new year.” For those of us who are not so inclined to give […]
Continue readingSocial Security Is More Than Your Own Retirement
If you think of Social Security retirement benefits as only a choice between claiming for retirement on reaching age 62, age 66 for full retirement benefits, and age 70 for more expansive benefits, you may be short changing yourself on some of the varied opportunities under the Act. Here are just a few options available […]
Continue readingSerious and Funky March National Holidays
Lawyers are typically seen as some fairly serious people so I noted with interest a recent posting on Faceboook from a fellow elder law attorney in a Pennsylvania county to the north and west of us. The posting celebrated March as National Craft Month and displayed a photo of a client of the firm presenting […]
Continue readingHow To Care For Family From a Distance
Greater opportunities and a flair for adventure have resulted in at least one unintended consequence. Family members who would have remained close to home and available through times of crisis are instead scattered throughout the U.S. and, in many cases, throughout the globe. It is only when they visit or call home that they realize […]
Continue readingThe Crucial Role of a Work Accident Attorney
Accidents in the workplace can happen when you least expect them, leaving you injured, overwhelmed, and unsure of your rights. In such trying times, the importance of hiring a work accident attorney cannot be overstated. These legal professionals are your advocates, ensuring you receive the compensation and support you deserve following a workplace injury. To […]
Continue readingSteps Are Proposed To Re-balance Long Term Care
A little over a week ago I was away from the office for a second time in two months at an Elder Law Conference – this one at the statewide level, the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA for short). The conference in January known as the Summit was for the National Academy of […]
Continue readingLaugh at aging with Dr. Seuss
When I began practicing elder law, I did not realize that a favorite children’s book author actually lived to be 87. I certainly did not know that he celebrated his 82nd birthday with the publication of a humorous book on aging similar to the funny tongue-twisting books he wrote for children. “You’re Only Old Once!” […]
Continue readingCreative Uses Of Real Estate Can Pay For Care
When seniors need help for care, they may be cash poor but living in a home with substantial equity. One common reaction when dealing with care is to transfer the house to the children and then, if moving to a nursing home, immediately apply for Medicaid. This is usually a mistake unless there is a […]
Continue readingSafety Matters When It Comes To Staying At Home
When healthy adults are asked would they rather stay home or move to a nursing home, the answer is obvious. When residents of facilities are asked if they would like to come home, the answer is typically the same. Studies demonstrate that most people would rather stay home and “age in place.” The exceptions I […]
Continue readingMedicaid Myths You Need To Know
When it comes to Medicaid and planning, a little learning is a very dangerous thing. I have seen families lose hundreds of thousands of dollars or be rejected for admission to a preferred placement because they thought they knew Medicaid from some connection with a relative or friend in the past. Here are some of […]
Continue readingRemembering Agnes Chesko
Some people are so extraordinary they cannot pass without noticing. Agnes Grady Chesko who died on April 18, 2015 at the age of 94 was one of them. While Agnes would have been remarkable at any age, to have accomplished those things that she did and continued to do at an age when many just […]
Continue reading