Dear Angel, I recently read about Advance Directives that deal only with dementia. What is included in them and is it a good idea to create them in addition to other incapacity planning documents? Thanks! Dee Rectiffs — Dear Dee, An Advance Medical Directive is a legal document that outlines your specific wishes regarding medical […]
Would You Choose Death on Your Own Terms if You Had a Terminal Illness? In 10 States, It’s Legal.
Q. I was recently flipping through the channels to watch Wimbledon on TV. I flipped too far and ended up on the World Series of Poker. When the tennis match was over, I flipped back to the poker competition. A man named Kevin Roster, who was fulfilling the last item on his bucket list, really […]
A New Miracle Machine Can Keep You Alive Even When Your Heart Stops
Q. My husband, Phil, and I have been married for thirty years. We were faced with a heart-wrenching situation recently, when Phil’s father had a heart attack and was on life support in the hospital. He didn’t have an Advance Medical Directive in place, and Phil’s mother was faced with a difficult decision about what […]
What is a POLST Form and Does it Replace an Advance Directive?
Dear Hayek, When reading about Advance Medical Directives, I saw something about a POLST form. What exactly is that, and if we have one, do we need an Advance Directive also? Thanks! Paul Stuh — Dear Paul, A POLST (Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form is a medical order for the specific medical treatments you […]
10 Intriguing Things to Do with Your Cremains When You Die
Pictured: Forevurn Kaleidoscope Urn Steve Munt is a cat lover with a keen interest in outer space. While most grieving pet owners keep their furry friends’ remains at home in an urn or buried in the yard, Munt wanted to do something special for his cat, Pikachu, who passed away after a long battle with […]
Dementia Directives: Making Your Voice Heard When You Can No Longer Remember
Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year. At that rate, in 2050, it is estimated that the number of people living with dementia will increase to more than 130 million. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and is the estimated cause of […]
A New Docubank Feature — My Medical Snapshot
Dear Bebe, I carry around my DocuBank Card, and love the peace of mind of having it in my wallet. I have one concern, however. What if I was too incapacitated and in the emergency room. How would doctors know about my medical history, including the specialists I go to and the medications I take? […]
Your Last Wishes Can be as Unique as You Are
Katie was born on July 4th. She got married on that day also and gave birth to her son on July 6th (he was due on the 4th). She was in the military and is a proud American. For her, Independence Day and fireworks have special meaning. So, when she indicated her wishes in her […]
Estate Planning for the Modern Family
Q. My family is not what many would consider “ordinary.” I am divorced and have been remarried for five years. I have a 40-year-old stepdaughter, a 25-year-old daughter, and a 10-year-old grandson, all of whom reside with us. My mother lives with us, as well, in a large home that I purchased with her, my brother, and his husband. Any suggestions when it comes to estate planning for my “modern” family? […]
Update Your Estate Planning Documents Now!
Dear Magic, My husband and I came to Evan’s office to do our estate planning several years ago. We have had some family changes since then, such as our children got married and had children of their own. With all this happening and with the new tax plan going into affect, does our estate planning […]
Dementia and the Right to Die
Q. During her last two years of agony, my mother would look at me and her doctors and nurses often and say, “Can’t you just give me a little black pill?” It was obvious to all of us what she meant and, of course, all we could say was that we couldn’t do that, but […]
Should You Get a DNR Tattoo?
Dear Ribbit, I read something about people in Florida getting tattoos that tell doctors that they do not want to be resuscitated. Is this something more people should consider? If someone doesn’t have a tattoo, how do medical professionals find out that someone has a DNR order entered in their medical file? Dana Riordor —– […]
Many Hospice Workers Lack Their Own End-of-Life Directives
Dear Bebe, Hospice workers come into contact with people who are dying every day. I read recently that many of them don’t even have their own advance medical directives. Is this true? Seems like a no-brainer to me! Noah Directivs-Ovtherown — Dear Noah, What you read is correct. Many hospice care workers, who deal with […]
VSED — Please Stop Feeding Me!
Last weekend, I presented at the Positive Aging Fair, and my PR Director, Renee, staffed our expo booth. Renee told me and Jeannie about another booth at the expo that was particularly memorable, because the representative brought an oven and was baking cookies on-site. Upon speaking with him, Renee said that he does the same thing […]
Advance Directives Mean Less Costly Care
Q. My aunt died ten years ago without an advance directive. I will never forget the fight between her husband and the rest of the family about life saving measures before she died. He insisted that she would have wanted them, when the rest of the family said she would not. There is tension to […]
Top 16 Articles of 2016
From the presidential candidates’ views on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, to a new president being elected, we covered a lot of ground in 2016. It was a year that included the passing of the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act to help special needs individuals, overtime pay for caregivers being instated and subsequently shut down […]
Driver Cessation and the Advance Driving Directive
Dear Angel, My mother has had Parkinson’s for 5 years and is a little shaky, but her doctor says she can still drive for the time being. Unfortunately, when the time comes for her to give up the car keys, I see it being a very difficult process. Are there any legal documents to help […]
Planning Your Own “Unique” Funeral — a Scary Undertaking?
Renato Bialetti’s family placed his ashes in a replica coffee pot urn. Q. I recently read about a funeral for 50-year-old Renato Garcia, where his body was on display at his own wake, wearing a Green Lantern costume. When asked why, his sister explained that she and her brother never discussed funeral wishes, but neighbors […]
Our Top 10 Scariest Articles of 2016 (If You Dare)
With Halloween upon us, now is the time when we present you with this year’s scariest stories. From one typo costing you your computer to loved ones with Alzheimer’s owning guns, we uncovered some scary ground. To celebrate Halloween, we’ve ranked our scariest articles from least to most scary (but you be the judge) for […]
Making Health Care Decisions for Someone Else
A lifelong family friend asked Jane if she would be her health care agent under an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) she was planning to sign. Jane didn’t know what to say or think, so she said, “Sure. I would be happy to.” But she didn’t really know what she was getting herself into. When someone […]