Elder Law

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

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 the elderly population of the U.S. increases, and as the effects of the economic downturn hit, more and more adult children find that their parents or grandparents are not doing as well financially as they had hoped.  Many need help paying for medical expenses, home care expenses, mortgage or rent payments, etc.  Adult children would like to be able to help, and a properly executed GRAT can be the perfect vehicle for wealthy children to give financial aid to their parents or grandparents without taking away from their lifetime gift-tax exemptions.

“With a GRAT, a child sets up a trust with a term of at least two years and funds the trust with stock or other investments. The trust pays the principal plus interest back to the child over its term as if it were an annuity, based on an interest rate set by the Internal Revenue Service. Any appreciation of the underlying investments above this ‘hurdle’ rate passes on to the GRAT’s beneficiary, in this case the parents, without being considered a gift for tax purposes.”

However, this opportunity may not be around forever.  The Obama administration has recommended imposing a 10 year minimum term on GRATs, an act which would make the GRAT strategy significantly less useful for many families. Adult children who would like to use a GRAT to pass wealth up to their parents or grandparents should consult with a financial or estate planning advisor sooner rather than later.

If you do miss out on the GRAT window, however, there are other options for helping elderly relatives, including paying medical expenses for the loved one (so long as payments are made to the service provider directly, rather than to the relative.)  Contact our office for other options and more information about helping elderly parents and grandparents.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Adult Children and Elderly Parents: Caring for Each Other

The idea of adult children caring for aging parents or grandparents is not a new one. In fact, with the aging Baby-Boomer population, adult children giving up free time or extra hours at work to care for relatives is a growing trend. But recently families have begun creating “caregiver compensation agreements,” something which can end up benefiting both parties in a number of ways.

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “the high unemployment rate, the rising cost of nursing-home care, an aging population, and a 2006 change in Medicaid law that makes it harder for people who wish to qualify to give away assets” are all contributing factors to the growing trend of these compensation agreements among family members.

How can it help you?

If you’re a caregiver the benefits of a caregiver compensation agreement are fairly self explanatory. “Some 37% of caregivers surveyed by the NAC in 2007 said they had quit a job or reduced their hours to accommodate their responsibilities,” some kind of compensation seems only fair.  And if you feel uncomfortable taking “wages” from your parents, there are other ways to arrange for compensation. “Attorneys say many families pay an hourly wage. As an estate-planning tactic, others opt for annual gifts or a lump-sum payment designed to cover services over an extended period. Some arrange for the caregiver to receive a larger inheritance.” It will all depend on what works best for your family.

If you’re the one receiving the care, compensation agreements can benefit you as well. Paying a family caregiver can help you deplete your savings and qualify for Medicaid, it can also help you reduce your taxable estate, as well as give a gift of sorts to younger family members who may be in need. Remember that Medicaid rules vary from state to state, so enlist the help of your attorney before signing any contracts.

However you may decide to structure your compensation agreement, disclosure can be of the utmost importance. Make other family members aware of the agreement up front to avoid suspicion or hurt feelings later on.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Talking to Siblings About Caring for Mom and Dad

Many modern families have members living all over the country—and all over the world.  Which means that the holiday season provides one of the only times to all get together in person, celebrate, catch up... and talk about caregiving strategies for aging parents. Unfortunately, this kind of conversation can be a difficult one, especially if not all siblings agree about mom or dad’s needs, or if one sibling feels that he or she shoulders an unfair amount of responsibility. In spite of the difficulty, having the conversation can be of the utmost importance.

In this article in Time Magazine author Francine Russo describes the consequences that can follow when lines of communication break down. “It wasn't until my mom's funeral, watching my dad and sister cling to each other and weep, that I got a hint of their long ordeal — and how badly I'd screwed up.”

Russo makes the point in her article that much of the tension and disagreement among siblings can come from inaccurate or conflicting information. “Friction often stems from parents giving their children different information about how they're doing. Mom may put on a good show for the out-of-towner, who then discounts what the local sibling says.” This is all the more reason for siblings to communicate with each other, not just through mom or dad.

If you aren’t sure how to get the conversation started, Paula Spencer, senior editor for Caring.com wrote this article for Third Age which gives some helpful strategies on how to ease into the difficult topic of caring for aging parents this holiday season.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Estate Planning Through the Ages

Can you remember what you were doing in your early 20s?  Can you imagine what kind of life you’ll be living in your 70s or 80s?  We experience incredible changes as the decades roll by—not just to ourselves, but in the world at large. With our lives changing so much, our estate planning documents and strategies should hardly remain static. Here is a guide to how your estate plan may or may not evolve through the decades.

In Your 20s:You’re young, just finishing school and starting in your career, unlikely to be married yet... the last thing you’re thinking about is estate planning! At this time of life, who gets your “stuff” may not be as important as who will make your decisions. Choosing your financial and healthcare agents and creating your power of attorney and healthcare directive are the important things to do at this time.

In Your 30s:Marriage, children, home ownership—most of these things happen in your 30s, and your estate plan should reflect that. Now is the time to choose guardians for your young children, decide with your spouse how your joint property will be distributed, and get serious about life insurance.

In Your 40s:This is when your strategy may switch from simple direction of inheritance to more serious asset protection. You’ve worked hard and saved, and you’ll want to think about the best way to maximize your assets with trusts and tax planning.

In Your 50s:As your children start to become independent you may have more freedom with your income.  Some people choose to create charitable trusts, some prefer to invest for retirement, and still others decide it’s time to take a risk and start over with a second career.  Your estate planner can advise and help with all of these.

In Your 60s:Ah retirement! Making the big change from work to retirement means making changes to your estate plan as well. If you’ve been keeping up with your planning through the decades all that is required now will be some basic maintenance; changes to account for marriages of your children, the birth of grandchildren, and your own relocation to someplace warm and sunny.  But beyond the basic maintenance, you may want to start doing some simple Medicaid and long-term care planning—just in case.

In your 70s and Beyond: Health is the key word now.  Our life-spans are getting longer, but so are our illnesses, you need to be ready.  Tighten up your estate plan, invest in long-term care insurance, and although it may sound morbid, talk to your doctors and family about your end-of-life decisions.

The life alterations that come over a span of decades are difficult enough; you don’t want to have to find a new lawyer every time your circumstances change.  Our firm makes it our business to keep up with you at every stage.

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Facing the Future with Long Term Care

November 2010 is Long Term Care Awareness Month, which means it’s the perfect time to talk about your thoughts, concerns, and plans for your own long term care.  According to this article by Ken Dychtwald, PhD, “average life expectancy is now at 78 and rising. And, if you're already 55 or more, life expectancy has soared to around 84.”  Furthermore, “Two-thirds of people over age 65 will need some kind of long term care.”  This means that it can never be too early to start planning for your future. 

Dychtwald points out in his article that “Uninsured medical expenses are the top financial worry among men and women age 55 and over. People... worry most about these expenses' unpredictability and potential for high costs.”  People know that their health is likely to decline slowly as they age, and people know that they will need care—possibly a lot of it—that the cost of this care is rising steadily, and that they will need a way to pay for it.  In spite of this, “many Americans are confused about what long term care actually is, and they're surprised to learn that Medicare and/or traditional health insurance do not cover most long term care needs.”

Life expectancy is rising, and the nature of “old age” is changing quickly.  We live longer, but we don’t necessarily live better; and what we’re headed for is an entire generation of people who are unprepared for the rigors and expense of “the new” old-age. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be the case.

The article above suggests that “There are three core topics in family conversations about long term care: (1) what care options are most preferred (e.g. if you needed some help, would you prefer to be cared for at home, in an assisted living facility or in a nursing home?); (2) potential roles and responsibilities of different family members' (and possibly, help from a professional care coordinator, aid or nurse), should it ever be necessary to manage care; and (3) how to pay for any required long term care (with your or a family members' savings, through Medicaid or with a long term care insurance policy?).”

We urge our readers to talk about these issues with their loved ones.  The conversations may be uncomfortable at first; but fear of the future—lack of preparation for the future—is far worse.  Discuss long term care with your loved ones and your trusted advisors. Be ready for whatever the future may bring.

Monday, November 01, 2010

The Quiet Devastation of Alzheimer’s Disease

According to a recent report put out by the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease.  Chances are that you or someone you know has been touched by this illness.  In spite of these overwhelming statistics, Alzheimer’s continues to be a disease that sneaks up on individuals and their families, quietly tearing apart lives with uncertainty and confusion. Estate planners and elder law attorneys sometimes see this heartbreaking confusion in our own offices when elderly clients or their families come to us, concerned that a loved one no longer has the capacity to sign or make decisions about legal documents.

A new article in the New York Times discusses the slow and sometimes invisible development of Alzheimer’s disease, and some of the earliest warning signs that your loved one may be suffering.  “New research shows that one of the first signs of impending dementia is an inability to understand money and credit, contracts and agreements.” This comes as particularly bad news to families who put off their estate planning year after year, each time telling themselves “We’ll do this next year for certain.”

By the time families come into our office with their suspicions about their aging loved one it may be too late for us to help.  “Lawyers have guidelines, published in 2005, that include warning signs of diminished capacity, like memory loss and problems communicating and doing calculations. The guidelines instruct lawyers to look at the legal requirements for capacity in specific situations, like making a gift. But many questions remain.”

Plans created after the suspicion of Alzheimer’s or dementia has set in can be fraught with doubt, and often cause conflict among family members.  We have seen the rifts and heartbreak the illness causes in even the strongest of families.  We urge you to take care of important legal and estate planning issues early, before questions of competence can cast the shadow of doubt over your wishes.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Just Say No? Medical Marijuana in Nursing Homes

The legalization of marijuana is on the ballot in California this November, but California isn’t the only part of the country where marijuana is making news.  The use of marijuana for medical purposes is being debated around the nation—especially as concerns elderly patients in nursing homes which receive federal funding through Medicare or Medicaid.

This article on the New York Times’ New Old Age Blog reports on this issue, and just how concerned and confused nursing home facility administrators are about what their options are and how to proceed. “Any patient using medical marijuana breaks federal law. Marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 drug, which means the federal government considers it to have no medicinal value. Despite this, physicians in 14 states and the District of Columbia are allowed to recommend it. . . Many facility administrators wonder how they can comply with federal law and preserve their reimbursements and at the same time permit residents to medicate with marijuana.”

Federal funding isn’t the only conflict attached to the medical marijuana issue.  Nursing homes in New Mexico (a state where marijuana was legalized for medicinal purposes in 2007) report that “the lack of dosing direction has caused problems. . . Pills in nursing homes are in what they call vacuum packs: you have to pop a pill out one at a time. They don’t do that with marijuana. It’s an amount of marijuana in a small plastic bag, so there is no way to track if someone took one or two pinches.”

Another issue to consider is the stigma attached to marijuana use, and complaints from other patients or residents.

Medical marijuana is generally prescribed to seniors to help them deal with chronic pain. Oregon’s long-term care ombudsman, Mary Jaeger, asks in the article above “Wouldn’t any one of us, in our own homes, feel that we have the right to live our lives by our own values and choices, to preserve our own dignity and, frankly, to live pain-free?” Will seniors moving to federally supported nursing homes have to find other ways to deal with chronic pain?  And more importantly... will they be willing to do so?

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

What “The Cost of Aging” Means Today

“The cost of aging” used to mean failing eyesight, bodily aches and pains, and maybe the loss of your teeth; but nowadays “the cost of aging” can mean the loss of your happy marriage!

With growing numbers of senior citizens being diagnosed with debilitating elderly illnesses, and with the cost of nursing care on the rise, more and more couples are finding that they simply can’t afford to pay for the numerous visits to the doctor, endless medical treatments, and rising cost of prescription medicines. Many seniors hope that Medicaid will help, but before you can get assistance from Medicaid you will have to spend down your own assets to almost nothing—this includes spending down any savings or retirement assets you may have.  

If you are the spouse of someone diagnosed with an illness such as Alzheimer’s or dementia you can really get the short end of the stick. As this editorial in the New York Times points out, you can put all of your financial resources toward your spouse’s care, only to find that at the end of it all you “face a bleak retirement with neither [your spouse] nor your savings.” Some seniors are discovering a dismaying truth: that if they want to keep some kind of nest-egg for themselves, one of their only options is divorce and the separation of finances that comes with it.

This isn’t the first time the subject of divorce for financial reasons has come up.  MSNBC dealt with the issue earlier this year with this segment on “Today”.  But there is some good news amongst all this gloom and doom—poverty or divorce don’t have to be your only choices.  If you start planning early, you can be prepared should something like this happen to you and your spouse.  Long-term care insurance is one good preventative measure, or ask your estate planning attorney about other asset protection strategies you can employ.

Aging is hard enough without having to end a happy marriage (and feel like you’re abandoning a beloved spouse) to ensure your own financial future.  Please call our office to find out what your options are.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Help for Alzheimer’s Patients AND Their Caregivers

Shakespeare said that old age is a return to childhood; without teeth, without voice... and in the case of Alzheimer’s patients, without memories.  But if the elderly have to endure the drawbacks of childhood, shouldn’t they get some of the benefits too?

The Family Caregiver Alliance must have thought so too, because a few times a year they sponsor a weekend sleepover in Alamo California called Camps for Caring. The program provides campers with an experience “of shared meals and stories, of activities creative and expressive, of exercise in the outdoors and of new friends and memories made over the weekend.” But the significance of the experience can go far beyond that.

According to a recent story about Camps for Caring on NPR, although “campers typically don't remember details of the retreat... the experience significantly lifts their mood.”  In fact, “Post-camp surveys of family caregivers indicate that the ‘good feeling’ lingers, and it even can improve daily functioning.”

Beyond being a beneficial experience for the elderly attendees, Camps for Caring provides a much-needed break for overworked caregivers, who often attend to their elderly loved one around the clock, and can quickly find themselves dangerously close to the burnout breaking point.

Out of state residents may find it difficult to take advantage of the Camps for Caring program, but that doesn’t mean that caregivers or their elderly charges must leave themselves at the mercy of the effects of Alzheimer’s.  In addition to information about Camps for Caring itself, the NPR article includes some tips from experts that can make dealing with Alzheimer’s easier on everyone. Or you can go to the Family Caregiver Alliance’s Family Care Navigator to find organizations and resources in your area.

Friday, September 03, 2010

How to Help Your Elderly Parents When You Live Far Away

We write a lot on this blog about the concerns that caregiver children have for their elderly parents, but that’s only one side of the story. Many families also have an adult child living far from home, and though the concerns of the long-distance child may be different from the one who lives down the street, they’re no less important.  Here are some of the more common concerns we hear about in our office, and some suggestions for addressing them:

I worry that when I talk to my parents on the phone I’m not getting the whole truth about their health or situation. This is one of the most common concerns of long-distance children. The best thing to do is be up front with your parents.  Tell them that you want—and need—to know the truth, even if they think it will worry you.  If you still don’t think they’re being completely honest, enlist the help of a sibling or nearby friend or neighbor who can be your eyes and ears.  You can also ask your parents to sign a waiver with their doctor giving him or her permission to share their medical details with you.

I’m afraid that my mom is losing the ability to manage her money and could end up broke. Seniors are the most common victims of financial fraud, and it’s hard to keep tabs on mom or dad if you live far away.  The best way to prevent financial fraud is to talk about money with your parents early and often.  It may go against the grain, but discuss your own finances with them if it will help them open up about theirs.  Visit as often as you can and watch their mail for letters from promotion companies or shady looking “charities”; and put your parent's phone number on the National Do Not Call registry (1.888.382.1222 or www.donotcall.gov)

I feel guilty that my sister (who lives in the same town as my parents) is shouldering the bulk of the burden. The sibling who lives closest does often end up being the physical caretaker of elderly parents, but that doesn’t mean those who live far away can’t help.  The most common contribution from long-distance children is financial support—and that’s no small thing!  Offer to pay for a housekeeper, in-home care assistant, taxi service, etc.  And don’t forget to talk to your sister about what she needs.  Helping your caregiver sibling is another way of helping your parents.

I love my parents; I want to do more to help than just give them money. A common complaint of seniors is loneliness and fear of being forgotten. One way to help your parent and help calm your own fears is to simply keep in touch.  Make a point of calling your parent on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Send frequent cards or e-mails. Plan a family vacation that your elderly parent can be a part of.  You can help your parents with your expertise as well; try to be involved in “the big stuff” such as meetings with estate planners, financial planners, nursing staff, or geriatric care managers. And most importantly, work regular trips to visit your mom or dad into the budget.  There’s really no substitute for face-to-face communication.

I think that my siblings close to mom and dad are making the wrong decisions for them, or are pressuring them to make decisions they don’t really want to make. Undue influence is a serious accusation, and if you truly think your siblings may be threatening or manipulating your parent you should seek the help of a professional.  Before you take irreversible action you need to have a private conversation with your parent; ask if they are being coerced and try to determine if fear is a factor. If you still think your parent is being manipulated against their will contact an elder law attorney immediately. 

I don’t want to miss out on what could be my last moments with my parent. There’s just no way around it, your parents won’t be here forever, and nobody wants to feel that there were things left unsaid.  If you truly worry that your parent is facing his or her last days the best advice we can give is to go visit if at all possible, and make your visit matter. Look through old photos, talk about your memories, and say the things that need to be said. If you can’t visit in person make phone calls or send letters.  Don’t save your best sentiments for the eulogy—tell your parents how important they are to you today.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Caregiver Compensation Agreements Benefit Elders AND Caregivers

Caring for an aging relative is hard work.  Many of the people who serve as caregivers admit that they often feel as if they have two jobs—their day job, and the part-to-full-time job of caregiver. If you consider that in our fast-paced society time is money, then most of these caregivers are not only giving up their time, but also their potential income.  Caregivers need to know that it doesn’t have to be this way; caregivers can be compensated according to mutually agreed upon terms of a Caregiver Agreement, or Personal-Care Contract.

Elder law attorneys have known about Caregiver Agreements for a long time, but a recent article in the Wall Street Journal will hopefully raise caregiver awareness of this useful contract; especially, as the article mentions, given the “still-fragile” state of the economy.  A Caregiver (or Employment) Agreement “should document a caregiver's responsibilities and hours and set a rate of pay that's in line with local practices. Both the caregiver and care recipient should sign the contract and disclose it to the rest of the family.”

An agreement of this sort can be useful not only for the care-giver and the cared-for; it also comes in handy if you think you may need to rely on Medicaid to cover nursing home costs sometime in the near future.

“Before Medicaid will pick up the tab for nursing-home costs, it requires applicants to recoup certain payments made to relatives over the previous five years -- and use the money to pay the nursing home... But if payments to relatives are made under the terms of a written employment agreement, often called a personal-care contract, the law allows it.”

But remember, “to pass muster with Medicaid, it's important to have such a contract in place before the services are rendered."

This is why it is extremely important to talk to an attorney who is well-versed in elder law and Caregiver Agreements before any contracts are signed or money changes hands.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Will Long-Term Care Living Arrangements Prevent You from Leaving an Inheritance?

In our last post we wrote about what matters most when choosing a long-term care living situation, suggesting that it’s not always the place that matters most, but the mind-set of the elderly person who will be living there, and how involved that person is in the decision-making process. However, this does not mean that the quality of each living place doesn’t matter at all.  In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal great care should still be taken when selecting a long-term care living situation... especially if you’re considering a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).

If you are considering a CCRC for yourself or an elderly loved one, you may want to read this article in the WSJ, which mentions that although more and more older Americans are drawn to the benefits offered by a Continuing Care Retirement Community, those benefits “often come at a steep price and ‘considerable risk.’"

The article goes on to mention that “So-called CCRCs—which typically offer fine dining, health clubs and on-site long-term care—have grown in popularity along with the aging of the population, particularly among the upper-middle class and affluent,” but that “the economic downturn is making it tougher for potential new residents to sell their existing homes and fill openings in new and expanded communities, which are generally regulated by state governments. As a result, low occupancy levels are challenging the industry's financial models.”

We mention this because many of our clients are at a time in their lives when they or their elderly parents are looking into long-term care living situations, and we see how difficult it is to sort through all the choices and find a place that fits.  Not only is quality of life an important factor (maybe the most important factor), but for many people the cost of the place they choose may mean the difference between leaving their children an inheritance and dying penniless.

We urge any of our readers who are in the market for long-term care living arrangements to look carefully at all their options; ask questions, do the research, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or a second opinion.

Monday, August 09, 2010

What Matters Most When Choosing a Long-Term Care Living Situation?

Elderly people and their families can spend months—sometimes years—looking for the perfect long-term care living arrangement.  Most families try to avoid the nursing home option to the very end, believing that assisted living or small residential care homes provide a better quality of life.  But is this fact or fiction?

Paula Span in her article on the NY Times New Old Age Blog suggests that “what variety of facility an older person lives in may matter less than we’ve assumed. And that the characteristics adult children look for when they begin the search aren’t necessarily what makes a difference to the people who move in.”

Span’s suggestion is based on (among other things) a recent study published in The Journal of Applied Gerontology, which found that among 150 Connecticut residents living in various long-term care situations (assisted living, nursing homes, residential care homes), the type of living situation itself made little difference in the resident’s emotional well-being. Rather, happiness and contentment was more a matter of “the characteristics of the specific environment they’re in, combined with their own personal characteristics — how healthy they feel they are, their age and marital status.”

Logically enough, a resident of a long-term care facility of any kind is more likely to report satisfaction and comfort if they had a hand in choosing their living situation, if they were part of the decision making process. In fact, it is the process itself—researching options, visiting facilities, considering current and future social and physical needs and how they will be met—that is the beginning of acclimatization.

Whatever your choice, you’ll want to know that you have options for paying for your long-term care living situation.  Medicare.gov has published a chart summarizing and comparing the various options for long-term care financing. Or please feel free to contact our office for more information.

Monday, August 02, 2010

The Next Step In Elderly Home Care

Many adult children of an aging parent get to a point in their parent’s care where they feel they have only two options: move their parent in with them so that they (or their spouse) can provide around-the-clock care, or move their parent into a nursing home.  Reaching this point can be a very emotional time for both parent and child; with the parent feeling anger and frustration at the loss of independence, and the child feeling that they have somehow failed their parent.

Improving technology may never be able to remove the need for this decision entirely, but it may be able to postpone it a little.  A recent article in the New York Times describes some new technologies that help adult children monitor their aging parent right inside the home, therefore removing the need (or at least delaying the need) for physical around-the-clock supervision.

One of the new technologies mentioned in the article (called GrandCare) “allows families to place movement sensors throughout a house. Information — about when doors were opened, what time a person got into and out of bed, whether there’s been any movement in a room for a certain time period — is sent out via e-mail, text message or voice mail.” It is this kind of in-home monitoring that may allow seniors to remain in their homes longer.

Some seniors have reservations about these new technologies, however, something that they consider to be an invasion of privacy. Nancy Schlossberg is quoted in the article as comparing these new technologies to nanny-cams, “Big Brother is watching you — there’s something about it that’s very offensive.” Some seniors may agree with her, but if it comes down to a choice between technological monitoring or moving to a nursing home they may find that “Big Brother” is the lesser of two evils.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Falling Through the Cracks

Our country may be facing a simultaneous growth and recession... unfortunately, according to journalist John Leland, the two seem to be at odds.  What we are referring to is the growth of the elderly population and the recession of funds available to help this aging community pay for the care they need.

The economic downturn of the past few years has hit the elderly with a double-whammy.  Many of them lost close to all of their savings when the stock market bottomed out, and now budget cuts to state-funded home-care services threaten to force many of them out of their homes and into hospitals or nursing facilities.

“’I’m not getting a cost-of-living adjustment, and now I’m not getting food,’ said Joyce Plennert, 83, who is on a waiting list for Meals on Wheels in Palatine, Ill. ‘Now I’m worried my home services will be cut. Without that, I’d be in a nursing home, if I could find one with room.’”

According to the above-mentioned NY Times article, a number of states have already made cuts to home-care services, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Texas.  “The situation is grim, and it’s safe to say that present trends are expected to continue,”

These budget cuts impact more than just senior citizens—they affect the professional caregivers and home aides who lose their jobs when state programs are cancelled, as well as the families of the elderly.  When these seniors lose their ability to live at home it’s their families who will have to pick up the slack either by contributing to the costs of care or more often by become the caregiver themselves.

If you or a loved one is facing a loss of benefits due to budget cuts don’t be afraid to explore your options.  Geriatric care managers can help families through confusing times, and other advisors such as elder lawyers, estate planners, financial planners and others can offer invaluable advice when creating your plan for the future.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

How to Tell If Your Loved One Needs In-Home Care (And What to Do About It)

It’s not always easy to know—or to admit—that a loved one is unable to fully care for themselves anymore. The signs develop gradually, and aren’t always easy to pick up on if you see your loved one on a daily or weekly basis.  Often it’s the son or daughter who has moved away and comes home for a visit who notices (what is to them) the “sudden decline” in mom or dad’s ability to perform the most basic of tasks.

If you suspect (but aren’t sure) that your loved one may need in-home care, there are a few signs you can look for to help you decide.  The “Right at Home” website has an article listing ten signs that home care could benefit your loved one, and Responsive Home Health has a 3 page questionnaire to help you determine whether or not mom or dad is still just fine at home alone. The signs you’ll want to look for include:

• Inability to prepare own meals
• Frequent falls
• Inability to keep up with basic hygiene such as bathing and brushing teeth
• Depression
• Sudden isolation
• And more...

Once you know for certain that your loved one needs in-home care you’ll have to face the sometimes daunting task of finding (and figuring out how to pay for) the right service.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal provides some excellent information on how to find the right kind and level of care for your loved one.  For example: does your parent need just a little bit of help with cooking and housekeeping, or is more comprehensive care (such as daily help with bathing, grooming, mobility and medication) necessary? The level of care your loved one needs, as well as what financial resources you have available, will help narrow down your choice of agency or aide.

Always remember, you don’t have to go through any of this alone.  There are a number of dedicated professionals who can help you along the way—including our office. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.  We’re here to help you.