It is incredibly difficult to raise the topic of end of life considerations. At some point, someone will have to broach the subject, even if Mom or Dad have already made all of the necessary arrangements. It’s far different than retirement topics; these conversations have to do with funeral and burial arrangements, do not resuscitate orders, powers of attorney for medical decisions – the really tough topics. If you think about it and the mindset we’re in when we plan for retirement, it’s one … [Read more...]
Estate Planning and End of Life Decisions
It's human nature to avoid some conversations and when we can't avoid them, we find ourselves stumbling over the words that must be said. Planning ahead for our medical futures and ultimately, death, is as crucial as it is disconcerting. We create estate plans for the future but as many estate planning lawyers can attest to, the moment end of life decisions are mentioned, many clients find themselves a bit hesitant. Despite all the medical breakthroughs over the past six decades, the most we … [Read more...]
Assisted Living: You Have Options
Estate planning obviously involves preparing your financial assets for eventual distribution to your heirs after your passing. However, it is best to take a comprehensive approach and consider all the eventualities of aging when you are making preparations for the future. While some people do pass away suddenly or relatively suddenly many people experience a slow decline. This is especially true when you reach an advanced age, and more and more people are living into their mid-80s and beyond … [Read more...]
Seniors Beware: Internet Scams, Theft Abound
Increasing awareness about elder financial abuse is one of the current objectives within the elder law community. A MetLife survey tells us that an estimated $2.9 billion is lost annually to cases of elder financial abuse, but it is difficult to compile totally accurate statistics because only a fraction of the cases that take place are ever brought to the attention of the authorities. Why would so many cases go unreported? There are a number of reasons, but the most common one is the fact that … [Read more...]
Useful Retirement Planning Guide Available Online
We live in the information age, and as a result there is a plethora of useful information available to us via the simple click of a computer mouse. Of course you have to be discerning about the sources of the information that you are able to pull up, but the ready availability of data certainly makes it easier to make informed decisions when you are planning for your retirement. With this in mind we would like to point you toward a very valuable resource that is offered on the Social Security … [Read more...]
Guardianship Proceedings Can Be Prevented
Guardianship proceedings are initiated when interested parties feel as though an individual has become unable to handle his or her affairs effectively. This is something to consider when you are making preparations for the period of your life that is known as the "twilight years." If you were to go through such a proceeding and the petition was granted you may have no control over who winds up making decisions for you. In addition, there are significant costs associated with guardianship … [Read more...]
Possible Cuts To Medicaid Leave Seniors Wondering
A lot of people think of Medicaid as being a federal program that is in place to assist people who have financial need get the medical treatment that they need. They assume that everything that senior citizens require is going to be taken care of by Medicare. The reality is that this is only partially true. Howard Gleckman, who is a Resident Fellow at the Urban Institute, recently published an article in the Kaiser Health News that shed some interesting light on how heavily senior citizens … [Read more...]
Social Security COLA On The Way In 2012
When you hear retirement planning attorneys emphasizing how important it is to make plans for the future you would do well to take their advice seriously. The statistics indicate that a very significant percentage of Americans wind up in a difficult position when they reach the latter portion of their lives, and this is in large part due to a lack of planning and unrealistic expectations regarding entitlement programs for seniors. The majority of people who receive Social Security say that it … [Read more...]
A Comprehensive Plan For Aging
When you go on any type of a journey you are going to make careful advance preparations. You don't just set out blind with no map, supplies, equipment, or itinerary. If you're smart you make sure that you are prepared to handle just about anything that fate should send your way. With this in mind, your life's journey should be properly planned for, and there are distinct different stages to take into consideration. One of these would be the period of time that is often referred to as the … [Read more...]
Medicaid: Spending Down And Looking Back
Elder law attorneys have been watching closely as the costs associated with long-term care continue to rise, and it is certainly a source of growing concern. If you are not aware of how high the cost of long-term care has become you'll probably sit up and take notice when you hear the facts. According to a study that was released by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, in 2010 the average charge for a yearlong stay in a private room in a nursing home in the United States was over $83,500. This … [Read more...]
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