Jean opened the envelope that contained her aunt’s will and began to laugh. “Oh, Aunt Sarah. You and your post-it notes.” She shook her head. Jean pulled out the document. The entire front page was covered in small yellow squares of paper. “Guess she changed her mind, a few times.” Her sister, Joan, frowned. “What a mess. How are we…
Who needs to think about long-term care? That’s something for down the road. Or maybe you’re healthy, you have your wits about you, and you just don’t think that is something you will ever need. Well, believe it or not, 70% of people over the age of 65 will need long-term care at some point while aging. Unfortunately, health insurance…
We all think that we can help our parents as they get older and even as they begin to lose capacity. This may be true, but if a parent with dementia can no longer be safe at home, is combative, or can no longer manage their finances or basic needs, what do you do? Many people rely on estate planning…
Lisa stared at the stranger standing on her doorstep, suspicious. “Good morning, ma’am,” the man said politely. “I noticed you’re in need of a new roof. If that’s not in your budget, I’d like to tell you about an important government program that will loan you the money. And they don’t even run a credit check. If you have some…
Sarah let herself into her father’s home, carrying several packages she had found in his mailbox. Her father asked, “What did you bring me?” Sarah frowned. “I found these in your mailbox. Have you been ordering from Sweepstakes, Inc? You know that stuff is junk, right?” Her father shook his head. “Nope, not me.” He pointed at a pile of…
Elder abuse is a common topic and we hear frequent warnings about scams by caregivers, email and telephone scams, and even being taken advantage of by children or grandchildren. While marrying for money is not a new concept, it is quickly spreading into the area of elder abuse. Caregivers, or people wanting to get close to an elderly person with…
Divorce, remarriage, and blending families are treacherous enough waters to navigate, let alone wondering if all sides of your family will get along when you die. Those are all critical junctures to update your estate plan, whether it be a trust, a will, power of attorney, health care directive, or just beneficiary designations. If all aspects of your estate plan…
Mary set her phone down on the table and frowned. Her husband, Herb, studied her. “What’s wrong?” “I don’t think we can bring Mom home for Christmas. The nursing home said if we remove her from the premises, we have to pay a fee to hold her bed. Otherwise, they can give the bed away to someone else.” “What? That…