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Estate planning may sound like the domain of the very wealthy, however, but it is an essential securing your future. In the eyes of the law, an estate is simply the aggregate of property an individual owns, and most everyone owns something. Property ownership includes individual as well as jointly owned bank accounts, stocks and bonds, retirement accounts, real estate, jewelry, vehicles, your online digital footprint, and even pets. Short of being utterly destitute, you have an estate, and planning for it helps to protect yourself, your family, and your… Read More

Harry and Wanda got married late in life. This was their second marriage, and both had children from the prior marriages. The couple wanted their children to inherit from their respective parents, so Harry and Wanda signed a prenuptial agreement to keep their property clearly separated. Unfortunately, Harry was then diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Medical bills piled up, his condition worsened, and soon Wanda was no longer able to care for him at home. But the cost of nursing-home care was formidable. The Medicaid program is designed to help pay for… Read More

Nurse Aide Attitude – These men and women are the hard-working individuals who will be directly interacting and caring for your loved one day and night. Aides are the single most important component of the quality of care. When a caregiver is respectful, kind and overall diligent, residents’ lives can be affected in a profound and positive way. The opposite also rings true. Don’t forget to speak with the aides and hear what they have to say. Residents’ Point of View – Be sure to ask a couple of the residents what… Read More

If you are a senior or have a loved one who is struggling with the process of paying their household bills, Silver Bills can eliminate the task and alleviate the worry about proper handling of monthly bills. As many baby boomers continue to opt for aging in place, home administrative tasks can become difficult. Family members who would like to help may live out of state or are too busy in their own careers to manage a loved one’s household bills. Silver Bills has created a seamless service that will handle bill… Read More

On March 15, 2018, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the United States Labor Department acted outside of its authority by creating the fiduciary rule and no longer has authority to enforce this Obama-era protection for retirement savers. The fiduciary rule required financial advisors to act solely in their clients’ best interest as it related to investments into retirement accounts such as 401(k) and IRAs. Practically speaking, this required financial advisors to disclose all fees and commissions, in easy to understand form, that they would earn from your… Read More

Whether at home or in a long-term care facility, senior Americans are increasing experiencing incidents of mistreatment and abuse as social isolation during the covid-19 pandemic. Stay-at-home guidelines isolate seniors from the systems that can protect them like medical providers, congregations, extended family, and senior centers. The high rate of coronavirus deaths for those Americans 70 and older increases fear and their dependency on those who might seek to take advantage of them. Sadly, most of these abusers are family members, such as an adult child or spouse, followed by… Read More

Post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly known as PTSD, has become a widely-discussed topic in mainstream news. Most of the time, the stories are referring to younger vets coming back from war—those who have bravely served more recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. But less frequently discussed is the fact that older Veterans also suffer from PTSD long after they have returned home and years after combat, sometimes even decades later! An entire older generation of Veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam are now showing signs of PTSD. During midlife, these… Read More

The US Department of Education is providing details about how states, schools, and parents can best address student special education needs following the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students with special needs are provided Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), which requires tailoring to meet individual disability needs. The program’s goal is to give children with special needs the same education opportunities as those without disabilities. The coronavirus is severely challenging schools to provide these necessary services. The guidelines are one set of procedures for children ages 2 to 21… Read More

The government has just released new recommendations for aging adults regarding exercise. The latest findings from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded that all aging adults should include aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises, as well as balance training. The authors of the study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) state “All three aspects are important for this population because older adults are at an increased risk of falls, and strength and balance are needed to prevent falls.” Physically active adults are better able to… Read More

Some couples choose to divorce in order to divide up their assets and help qualify for Medicaid. But there are downsides to this already painful solution for covering the high price of long-term care. The Example Of Harry And Wanda Harry and Wanda got married late in life. This was their second marriage, and both had children from the prior marriages. The couple wanted their children to inherit from their respective parents, so Harry and Wanda signed a prenuptial agreement to keep their property clearly separated. Unfortunately, Harry was then… Read More