Q. My mother, Anna, is in a local nursing home and receives exemplary care from the nurses, doctors, and health aides there. I want to do something to give back to them and to others on the frontline in the DC Metro Area who are risking their lives to help others during the coronavirus pandemic. […]
How to Relieve Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dear Oakley, We’ve been home for a month now and every day is the same. I honestly don’t know what day it is anymore, and I’ve lost that excitement that usually came with Fridays or the anxiety when Monday comes again. It feels like I’m the star of the movie, “Groundhog Day,” where every day […]
Why Special Needs Planning Is Even More Important During a Pandemic (Part 4 of a 4-part Series)
In what was originally a three-part series, I have decided to add one more essential part about special needs planning and why it’s especially important during a pandemic. In part one of this series, I discussed why estate planning is of vital importance during this global pandemic. In part two, I explored elder law and […]
Are They Moving Coronavirus Patients into Nursing Homes?
Q. My mother, Phyllis, is in a nursing home in Northern Virginia. I heard that across the country, they are moving coronavirus patients into nursing homes. I understand that my mom is quarantined to her room, but I still think that this a bad idea given that seniors (particularly nursing home patients) are among the […]
Can Coronavirus Affect Pets?
Dear Angel, I am the proud mom of three dogs, who are getting lots of attention with my husband and I working from home, and with the kids here too. They mostly stay in the house but enjoy long exercise walks around dinner time. We also have a gray outdoor cat, who visits each day. […]
Why Retirement Planning Is Even More Important During a Pandemic (Part 3 of a 3-part Series)
Randy Smythe, 60, took an early retirement last September after a career in e-commerce sales and soon took off to spend a year visiting the national parks while renting out his home. Now, similar to most Americans, he’s stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic and still two years away from eligibility for Social […]
Why Long-Term Care Planning is Even More Important During a Pandemic (Part 2 of a 3-part Series)
Suzanne is a family caregiver for her 75-year-old mother who has dementia and for her two young children. She is most concerned about her mother, who has a weakened immune system, and her infant son, being only 2 months old. With no vaccine at the moment, the best thing caregivers similar to Suzanne can do […]
When Your Loved One is in a Nursing Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Q. My husband, Bill, is currently in a nursing home with frontotemporal dementia. We are not able to visit him at this time, which is especially difficult for him and for us. He is declining quickly, so I was trying to visit at least twice a week before, but I understand that it’s for the […]
Some Uplifting Nursing Home Stories Amid Coronavirus
Dear Hayek, My grandmother is in a nursing home and I am worried about her. I write her letters and talk with her via phone and FaceTime, but I can tell she is still lonely. Are there any uplifting stories you can share about nursing homes during this difficult time? I’m hoping for some creative […]
Why Estate Planning is Even More Important During a Pandemic (Part 1 of a 3-part Series)
As Millie sits in her kitchen homeschooling her children, she realizes that she really doesn’t remember much of the math she learned in 5th grade. During a break, she turns on the television and a news brief flashes on the screen with Governor Northam informing Virginia residents that schools will be closed for the remainder […]