Category Archives: Elder Law
New York Becomes 29th State to Pass Alert System for Vulnerable Adults Legislation
Last month saw some good news for seniors and their families in the state of New York. State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on his website that he “signed a law to create a statewide alert system for missing vulnerable adults, similar to the nationwide Amber Alert program, which will help authorities locate cognitively impaired… Read More »
Addressing the Growing Financial Concerns of Baby Boomers
The “golden years” are supposed to be a time to retire and relax after a life of working hard for yourself and your family, but according to a recent story on NPR, Baby Boomers have some big financial concerns about the future, many of which involve how they will pay for health care in… Read More »
War Veterans May Be Unaware They Qualify For VA Aid and Attendance Benefits
One of the services Elder Law and Estate Planning attorneys often provide is helping clients navigate the application procedures and bureaucratic systems for the various state and federal medical insurance programs; and one thing that remains a surprise throughout the years is how many people forget about the VA Aid and Attendance Program for… Read More »
How Should A Caregiving Relative Be Compensated?
It is common knowledge in our society of aging Baby Boomers that many adult children end up taking months or even years off from their lives and careers to provide care for their elderly parents. Most children do this out of love and a sense of duty, but even in the closest of parent-child… Read More »
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” -Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night The Dylan Thomas poem from which the above lines are taken fairly accurately expresses the American view of… Read More »
Veteran Journalist Shares Her Personal Experiences Entering the Medicare System
Trudy Lieberman has had plenty of experience with Medicare—of course up until now most of it was from the outside looking in. As a journalist for more than 40 years specializing in insurance, health care, health care financing and long-term care, one would think that when the time came this year for her to… Read More »
What to Do When Mom Can No Longer Manage Her Own Money
One of the most difficult aspects of caring for an elderly parent (or helping an aging parent who lives far away) is keeping one step ahead when that parent begins to lose the ability to manage his or her own finances. Many seniors can be very resistant to discussing what they feel is an… Read More »
New Criteria for Alzheimer’s Can Lead to Early Diagnosis, Better Treatment and Planning
Alzheimer’s Disease is a devastating illness which affects families all over the country; from the adult child who fears that her father’s recent forgetfulness might be a harbinger of something more sinister, to the elderly gentleman who wonders how he will possible pay for the care his beloved wife requires. Over the years, the… Read More »
The Benefits (And Risks) of a Multi-Generational Household
Throughout history, the multi-generational household has always had its place in our society. At times the multi-generational family has been common and plentiful, at other times rare and seen only on the fringes of society. In the past few years, for reasons of both economy and practicality, the percentage of Americans living in multi-generational… Read More »
A Way to Help Parents and Grandparents in Financial Need
Estate planning is often about how people can pass wealth on to their children or grandchildren, but what if a child wants to give financial gifts to a parent or grandparent? This article from Bloomberg discusses just that: how GRATs Let Children Pass Millions to Mom or Granny Free of U.S. Gift Taxes. As… Read More »