Filial responsibility laws obligate adult children to pay for their indigent parents’ food, clothing, shelter and medical needs. When the children fail to do so, nursing homes and government agencies can bring legal action to recover the cost of caring for the parents. Not only can they sue you for the money, but in some […]

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a six-week online workshop at no-cost, called Building Better Caregivers™, for family caregivers of veterans. This comprehensive online workshop addresses specific needs of caregivers who care for Veterans with dementia, traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, or any other serious injury or illness. The program, developed at […]

Q. I have a question about Medicaid eligibility and need elder law and/or divorce advice in order to protect our modest assets. My husband and I reside in Virginia. I am in my late 60s and work full time. My husband is 80 and has Parkinson’s disease and early signs of dementia. His only income […]

According to a recent Pew survey, the share of the total U.S. population that is age 65 and older has more than tripled over the last century, from roughly 4% in 1900 to 14% in 2012.  Recently, the Pew Research Center interviewed a subset of the aging population (nearly 2,000 adults), providing a glimpse into […]

Ted was a hard-working plumber who died from an unexpected heart attack at the age of 53. He was very chatty and often talked to his clients about what was on his mind while he worked. One of his clients, Rachel, recalls that he mentioned his desire to donate his organs, should anything happen to him, to help others […]

Mr. Garcia is a 73 year old Vietnam Veteran who served in the Marines. He lives at home with his wife and was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He feels disoriented in his neighborhood and has forgotten his way home a few times. His wife worries about his safety. Luckily, the United States Department of […]

You just enjoyed turkey and all the fixins’ with family and friends. Before the tryptophan starts kicking in and making you sleepy, why not take a walk? You may feel like sitting on the couch after the big meal, but if I told you that physical activity helps stave off depression, dementia and other health […]

As we get older, simple things like tying our shoes become challenging and that quick memory we took for granted when we were younger suddenly evades us. It is easy to get caught up in what we have lost, but let’s not forget about all that we have now, and what we have to look […]

Nearly 44 million adult caregivers (21 percent of the U.S. adult population) provide care to seniors or adults with disabilities. On average, these caregivers provide 21 hours of care a week; and the average length of time spent providing care is 4.3 years (source: AARP). Many caregivers have to balance their family duties with their […]

Q. My 65th birthday is just around the corner. I retired from a job that I loved last summer and I think that I am ready for what lies ahead. The problem is, I am not sure if I can afford it — future long-term care costs in particular are making me very nervous, because […]

When Matt was a baby, his parents became concerned early that he never looked anyone in the eye, didn’t respond to sound, and missed several developmental milestones, such as pointing and waving. He was their first child and the possibility of autism was the farthest thing from their mind. To them, he was just a […]

The Older Americans Act (OAA), enacted in 1965, was designed to provide services and funding in every state to support the dignity and welfare of seniors age 60 or older. These services focus on improving the lives of older people in areas of income, housing, health, employment, retirement and community services. The OAA is required […]

Marlene, 81, and Charlotte, 77, have been together for 43 years.  If one or both of them needs long-term care in the future, their first choice would be getting private in-home care by Marlene’s sister, Vera, but they realize that a skilled nursing facility or assisted living center is always a possibility. Marlene and Charlotte […]

Q. Recently, my family had a reunion. Since I have six brothers and sisters, it was a huge event that included many relatives that I hadn’t seen in years. At dinner, my distant cousin Marty who is a few years older than me and whose wife Danielle recently had a stroke at the young age […]

Edith is bilingual and speaks English and Spanish fluently. This has been helpful throughout her life, in her career, and in her travels. She was recently diagnosed with early onset dementia.What she didn’t know until now is that speaking two or more languages is helping delay the damage of the dementia, a new study suggests. In a recent study in the journal Neurology, researchers found that […]

There are as many as 90 million family caregivers in the U.S. today, and their contribution is thought to be equivalent to $450 billion in caregiving services every year.  This number is steadily increasing, as more Americans are caring for a loved one with a chronic condition, disability, special need, or the frailties of old […]

Greta was very close with her in-laws, and often referred to them as “the parents she never really had.” When her father-in-law, Chuck, started to show signs of dementia, she stepped in immediately to help. For as long as Greta could remember, Chuck and the other members of the family were completely averse to having […]

According to a recent report by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), changes in the Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance market, including higher-than-expected benefits and lower than anticipated returns on investments, have caused many major carriers to exit the market. Why […]

Q. My son, Eric, recently got married to Jennifer, and my mother, Olivia, would like to give them a gift of $10,000 for their nest egg. She also has a history of giving small monthly gifts to the animal shelter. If my mother requires nursing home care next year (which we think is possible), would […]