With Halloween upon us, it is time to present you, our dear readers, with this year’s scariest & creepiest stories. From the nightmare of probate to court cases involving filial responsibility, we uncovered some scary ground. To celebrate Halloween, we’ve ranked our scariest articles for you to revisit (if you dare). As always, thank you […]
Caregiving Across the Miles
Q. I live in Northern Virginia, 700 miles away from my parents, who are in Florida. My father has Parkinson’s and insists on staying in our family home. His mobility has diminished, and I worry about him falling nearly every day. I cannot move closer because of my husband’s government job and my job, and the quality of […]
Common Misconceptions about Revocable Trusts
Recently, CNBC posted an article on their Website about the benefits of trusts, entitled “Heir Tight: The Do’s and Don’ts of Creating Rock-Solid Trusts.” The article provides some very good information about why most people should have a trust; however, there are some misconceptions when it comes to Revocable Living Trusts and what they protect […]
Obamacare Warfare: Why is the Public Positively Puzzled on Health Reform?
Paradoxically, the same principle that ensures Democracy in America is the source of the maddening confusion, delay, and uncertainty: “the Separation of Powers.”
Reverse Mortgage Rules Changing Again
I’ve written several times over the years on the topic of Reverse Mortgages. My first article explained the concept and requirements of a Reverse Mortgage and how seniors can use a reverse mortgage. My second article, entitled Using a Reverse Mortgage to Pay for Home Care, explained how the Reverse Mortgage can be used as a tool […]
Huge Problem with Reverse Mortgage Industry
I have always praised the use of Reverse Mortgages as a way for seniors to pay for Home Care so they don’t need to leave their home and move into a long-term care facility. See, for example, my January 30th, 2010 blog posting on this subject at: http://blog.virginiaelderlaw.com/2010/01/using-reverse-mortgages-to-pay-for-home-care/ Now I’m Troubled. Unfortunately, I must now retract my […]
Upcoming Seminars for Lawyers and Clients
I’m conducting two seminars this week on the topic of Income Only Trusts. The first one is a teleseminar for attorneys around the country who are members of the professional group ElderLawAnswers. Entitled Using Income Only Trusts for Medicaid (and General) Asset Protection, this teleseminar is Thursday, Feb. 11, at 2pm Eastern. If you’re a member of ElderLawAnswers, you […]
Using a Reverse Mortgage to Pay for Home Care
Many of my clients ask me how I feel about reverse mortgages, and even more so this past week because of a favorable story that appeared in last week’s Washington Post entitled “Reverse Mortgages are Not the Next Subprime.” This excellent article was written by the “Mortgage Professor,” a Professor of Finance Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (incdientally, my Alma Mater), and clears up much of the confusion and myths and fears surrounding the reverse mortgage. I encourage all of you to read it.
Major Change in Estate Tax and Capital Gains Tax for 2010
Because of a Congressional failure to act before the end of 2009, there’s good news and bad news to report on the Estate Planning and Elder Law front. The good news is there’s no Estate Tax if you die this year. The bad news is you may owe significant capital gains taxes if a loved […]
Who Was Supposed To Be Watching Grandma?
There is a popular tune played this time of year called “Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer” which relates that Grandma — after drinking too much eggnog — went out into the winter cold to get her medication and was run over by a reindeer. The question is . . . “Who was supposed […]
Helping Your Older Parents Stay Happy and Healthy
by Robert Stall MD, Geriatrician If you’re fortunate enough to have one or both parents still living, you may have noticed a role reversal taking place in your relationship. Remember the days when Mom shuttled you to the doctor whenever you were sick? Now, it may be you who’s driving her to her medical appointments. Perhaps […]
Holiday Blues: Depression in the Elderly
The holiday season is quickly coming upon us. If you are a caregiver for an elderly loved one, you may notice a change in your loved one’s mood as the holidays approach. Perhaps you are one of many who live a distance away and visit elderly parents and family during the holidays. When you visit, […]
Understanding a Caregiver’s Stress
A 2003 study of caregivers has proven that the off-repeated adage “stress can kill you” is true. The focus of the investigation was the effect the stress of caregiving had on caregivers. A team of researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center has found a chemical marker in the blood that shows a significant increase […]
Caregivers Take Care
Caregiving can be very stressful and demanding. In the case of a healthy spouse or a child living with a disabled person at home, caregiving can be a 24 hour, 7 day a week commitment. But even for the caregiver not living in the home, looking after a loved-one or friend can consume all of […]
Using a Professional Geriatric Care Manager
Utilizing the services of a professional geriatric care manager should be something that every family considers, but in reality very few families know about care managers or use them. Geriatric care managers can go a long ways toward helping a family find better and more efficient ways of providing care for a loved one . […]