A healthy life where you retain all your faculties and enjoy yourself, is definitely preferred to decades of dementia. We don’t get to choose, but we can plan. As Baby Boomers continue to change the face of aging, and so many embrace the idea of genetic testing, many are confronted…
“Solo agers or Elder Orphans face unique challenges, as their needs begin to change.” Did you know that a study from the Pew Research Center says about 20% of the 75 million baby boomers don’t have children—a figure that’s double what it was in the 1970s and one that’s expected…
We’re not talking about what happens to your soul, or if you are headed to a peaceful place, or even what happens to your physical remains. Have you thought about what happens to the world you leave, your family and friends and your possessions, after you die? Let’s say you…
Even when planning for competency issues is in place, there can still be problems. When a highly-intelligent public figure makes decisions his kids thinks are wrong, who is right? The case of Buzz Aldrin, who is taking his son and daughter to court on charges of fraud, conspiracy and exploitation…
A large percentage of Americans require assisted living care at some point during their senior years. Their understanding of how that gets paid for is way off base. It’s a hard lesson to learn. Approximately one-third of Americans (34%) thought that Medicare would cover their nursing home costs, as reported…
Planning for life with Alzheimer’s includes selecting trusted family members or friends who can assist with legal and financial matters. It was at least three years after his diagnosis that comedic actor Gene Wilder revealed he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This is not unusual, according to experts discussing his…
Conferences nationwide mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and explore solutions to a growing concern. The University of Minnesota recently hosted a large conference focused on what is considered to be the next large national crime wave: elder abuse. Attending the conference were social workers, nursing home workers, lawyers, law…
This is one of those problems that you think you've solved, only to discover that the problem still exists. The best workaround we can think of: overdoing due diligence, well in advance. When you took the necessary and advisable step to have a parent or other relative sign a durable…
After a long and high profile life of philanthropic endeavors, socialite Brook Astor died in 2007 with an estate worth $200 million. Two years later, her son Anthony Marshall was convicted of stealing millions from her. Astor suffered from dementia, and Marshall was paying himself from her assets. While…
When a loved one has Alzheimer’s, advanced planning for legal and financial matters becomes even more important than in day-to-day estate planning. Ideally, planning well in advance, before the disease has taken a toll on the person’s cognitive abilities, may give them an opportunity to express their wishes for their…