This summer may be the time to answer that one nagging question that you may have or develop a deeper understanding of certain issues that affect your family. It is important for families and caregivers to understand the fundamental concepts in managing their loved...
We meet the lifetime legal needs of children and adults with disabilities, the elderly, and their families.
Older Adults
Dementia and the Importance of Planning for Your Future.
November is Alzheimer’s awareness month, so I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about dementia and the importance of planning for your future. First and foremost, some forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging. We have all misplaced our keys or put our wallet in a different place, forgetting momentarily where we left it. When forgetfulness becomes…
Lessons from Making Bread
Solving problems for our clients is stressful work for all involved. It is stressful for our elderly who need care. It is stressful for their spouses. It is stressful for adult children caring for their parents. It is stressful for parents taking care of their loved ones with special needs. Often, the system seems too complicated and the obstacles too…
Care Advocacy Services: A Case Study
Donald and Shirley engaged Hickman & Lowder to draft their estate plan with special needs considerations in the early 1990s. At that time, their daughter, Angela, who has a developmental disability, was living with them and receiving minimal benefits from the government. Donald and Shirley put a trust in place to provide for Angela after they both were gone. When…
Elder Abuse and Exploitation – It can even happen to “Super Heroes”
In Stan Lee’s iconic story of “Spider-Man,” young Peter Parker fails to stop a robbery, which leads to the death of his uncle. Thereafter, Peter is the crime-stopping Spider-Man. Peter’s double life then centers on protecting others from abuse. Sadly, there has been recent news that Stan Lee was the victim of financial exploitation at the hands of his business…
Ensuring Good Nursing Home Care
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has identified about 80 nursing homes nationwide that are subject to increased oversight because the facilities have “substantially failed” to meet the required care standards and resident protections mandated by federal and state regulations. These facilities are part of CMS’s Special Focus Facilities Program and are subject to increased monitoring as a result…
Losing a Parent: Are We Ever Prepared?
On March 16th, one day before St. Patrick’s Day, my father-in-law passed away quietly in the middle of the night. He was 87 years old. Yes, he had been ill, but he was on the road to recovery—or so we thought—recovering in a rehab facility. The 2:00 a.m. call informing my husband of the news was a shock to the…
In-home Care vs. Facility – You Decide
One of the most common questions posed in care coordination is how to decide between in-home care and facility placement. While there is no simple answer to this question, it is important to recognize the pros and cons of both choices. There are several factors involved in making the best choice: level of care/care needs, cost, and safety are just…
Your Elder Years Strategy
I recently saw two advertisements from companies trying to help people “stop Medicaid from taking your retirement.” The ads paint a frightening picture and offer advice on how to avoid trouble. Typically, when you read between the lines of these advertisements, you see they’re usually advising you to take one or two strategies: develop some kind of trust, or invest…
Embracing Death
If you are like me, you may not like thinking or even talking about dying, especially if it’s about you or a loved one. I frequently see the same discomfort in my clients’ faces when we discuss the subject. Discomfort and denial help many of us avoid the topic. Yet death can’t be avoided – at least not yet… A…