Get Help In Talking To Your Healthcare Provider
Most people do not have difficulty expressing to others, especially friends and family members, what they think. Still, the same person who shares his or her observations and complaints regularly with acquaintances can freeze when dealing with medical professionals, doctors, nurses, diagnosticians, and therapists. Sometimes the patient does not know what to ask or thinks […]
Continue readingReverse Mortgages –The Last Cookie Jar?
Almost two years ago I wrote a column assessing reverse mortgages and their role for an aging population. My column referenced an earlier editorial that had appeared in the New York Times titled “Aging in Place.” The Times editorial argued for greater use of reverse mortgages to handle America’s long term care crisis and asserted […]
Continue readingUnscramble Those Taxes
With the number and kinds of taxes in effect today, it is not surprising that average citizens become confused regarding what taxes apply to them and whether and when those taxes must be paid. Here is a summary of some of the most commonly held misconceptions regarding taxes on inheritances and estates that readers might […]
Continue readingScam Proofing Your Life
Last year an AARP book by Sid Kirchheimer, author of the AARP Bulletin “Scam Alert” hit the stands in paperback and, to all accounts, met with instant success. “Scam Proof Your Life: 377 Smart Ways To Protect You & Your Family From Ripoffs, Bogus Deals & Other Consumer Headaches” is overflowing with tips covering everything […]
Continue readingPennsylvania Department of Aging Comes To Town
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is coming to West Chester and they want us to know it. As the fifth in a series of seven 2008 Town Meetings being held throughout Pennsylvania, West Chester University will host the gathering at its Sykes Student Union Building, Theatre-Ground level, 110 West Rosedale Avenue on March 14 from […]
Continue readingWills of the Rich and Famous
A few years ago while attending a Pennsylvania Bar Institute program, I recognized a slim text that caught my attention. “Wills of the Rich and Famous” published by this popular legal education provider contains actual Wills and an analysis. Today, famous wills are also available to the public through Google and other web browsers. Just […]
Continue readingThe Deficit Reduction Act – Two Years Later
This week marks the second anniversary of the federal Deficit Reduction Act and elder law attorneys, two years later, are still interpreting the sweeping changes in Medicaid law effected February 8, 2006. While the law contains provisions that could affect anyone, it most immediately impacts middle class elderly and their families. Families want to know […]
Continue readingPennsylvania’s House of Representatives Acts on Taxes
Those of us who have been following the Presidential primaries over the past few months may have missed developments closer to home. Last week, Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives engaged in what was described by one Allentown newspaper as a “tax cutting party” slashing everything from Pennsylvania inheritance taxes to taxes on business profits, cell phones, […]
Continue readingMental Gymnastics To Combat Aging
One intriguing question regarding living longer, healthier lives is whether mental exercise can effectively slow age related memory loss or even Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. As an older gentleman asked at one of my presentations, “Can’t you just take care of that by doing crossword puzzles?” As “Boomers” age, these questions will persist and, while […]
Continue readingHow to Access Medicare Preventive Services
Of all the Medicare “alphabet” services, Medicare Part “B” probably receives the least attention. Since seniors pay a premium under basic Medicare for Medicare “B” by way of deduction from their monthly Social Security benefit, they may do well to explore what benefits they may not be using. The premium for 2008 is indexed to […]
Continue readingGet Honest About Money
We pretend, when it comes to finances, all decisions are rational and can be plotted on a straight path toward a predictable result. This simplified notion forms the basis for the “Write Your Own Will” kits sold in stationery stores and the computer programs that forecast a guaranteed return in a given amount in a […]
Continue readingA Good Marriage Is Good for Your Health
Researchers have just discovered another reason to be good to your spouse. It turns out that older happy, well adjusted couples are less likely than hostile or controlling ones to damage their hearts from atherosclerosis, also referred to as hardening of the arteries. With health costs spiraling out of control and the need for […]
Continue readingPlanning with a disabled spouse not easy
When a spouse has been diagnosed with a chronic disabling illness, both parties are faced with decisions. The options can seem overwhelming and each professional consulted seems to know only a piece of the puzzle. This can be an interesting hurdle for my practice since, if elder law attorneys do anything, it is to assemble […]
Continue readingUnderstanding the meaning of ‘probate’
Of all the misunderstood legal terms in estate planning, probably the most unfairly maligned is the idea of probate. In fact, probate has been so regularly attacked in popular periodicals and in do-it-yourself estate publications that average people have sometimes gone to great expense to avoid the process altogether. The result is that some authors […]
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