How do I know what kind of caregiver my family member needs?How do I go about finding a home caregiver?What if I prefer to hire someone myself? Choosing care for an elderly loved one can be challenging as it requires much research and thought. Their needs will determine the type…
“Young people may be eager to marry for love, but older couples are more practical and worry about paying the bills,” says Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the University of Washington. These days, more and more Americans are meeting new loves or (finally) their true loves later in life.…
Reverse mortgages, which allow homeowners 62 and older to borrow money against the value of their homes that need not be paid back until they move out or die, have long posed pitfalls for older borrowers. Although a reverse mortgage has some advantages, such as offering a means of cash…
Adult day care centers provide care and companionship in a group setting to seniors who need supervision during the day, allowing their caregivers to go to work or take a much-needed break. The balancing act of caring for an elderly loved one can be difficult, expensive and exhausting. You want…
Time, it seems, has healed past wounds enough to leave us remembering Grandpa Oscar with a smile. Very belatedly the violin has served its purpose. We can hold on to the memories and let go of the object. Family heirlooms seem to have special powers over the family. Memories and…
Alzheimer’s patients live for years with diminished mental skills, which makes it crucial that they make decisions early on about how their care should proceed. Planning for one’s estate and for one’s late-in-life plans requires more than a bit of wherewithal. This is not only an empirical fact but also…
Stop saying everyone knows what you want. Everybody probably doesn’t know. Or in their grief, they may not be able to make the decisions you would have preferred. If you don’t leave written instructions, emotions or unresolved issues can get in the way. The amount of frustration a family goes…
Suzanne M. Cheney performed many services for her stepfather, Anthony R. Turco, expecting to receive a share of his estate. However, to her great disappointment, he left her nothing. There is a difference between care given out of responsibility and that given out of expectation of payment. Similarly, there is…
Be prepared to demonstrate that the loan is legitimate, and that repayments are being made regularly. This documentation can also help sort matters out if the lender should die before the full value of the loan has been repaid. If you are compelled to help out a family member by…
… Multi-generational living arrangements present legal and financial challenges around home ownership. The family home is that special place where the family lives and comes together. In fact, some families take it one step further and actually all live under the same roof. Some 17% of the population have multi-generational…