Is Your Estate Plan Up To Date?
We have heard from many of our clients that the current COVID-19 crisis has spurred them to reflect and rethink their priorities. These are some simple steps that you can take make sure your estate plan is up to date. Put estate planning on your to-do list If you have been putting off getting your Will and Durable Powers of Attorney completed, now is a good time to get started. Most estate planning attorneys are able to help despite the COVID-19 restrictions. In our office, the initial work is done remotely. When it is time for documents to be ... [ CONTINUE READING ARTICLE ]
Mediation For Dementia Elder Care
Few things in life are as difficult or challenging as making health and home care decisions for a parent suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Siblings and loved ones may disagree whether the parent requires nursing home, assisted care living, in home service or another level of care. Sometimes adult children and family members cannot resolve short- and long-term care issues on their own. Several other issues can arise when determining the best care for parent. It's not uncommon for parents and siblings to disagree about the best path forward. Fortunately, Washington State provides many caregiver sources, so families have ... [ CONTINUE READING ARTICLE ]
Your Parents Should Have End-Of-Life Care Plans
As your parents age, some conversations that need to happen can prove to be rather difficult. It is understandable that you would want to skip over these but doing so can be disastrous down the road. Instead of putting this off, take the time to discuss these matters now so that you know the plans when the time comes. One important thing to talk about is what sort of end-of-life care your parents want. There are two important documents that can ensure that your parent's wishes will be followed. One is an Advance Directive to Physicians, sometimes called a living ... [ CONTINUE READING ARTICLE ]
How Can You Help Protect Your Parents From Identity Theft?
Identity theft is a growing problem in the U.S. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there were 371,061 cases of identity theft reported in 2017. The most common type of identity theft was credit card fraud, making up about one-third of the identity theft cases with 133,015 cases reported in the U.S. The elderly are frequently victims of these crimes. They are often viewed as the perfect victims because they usually have substantial money saved for retirement and good credit scores. In addition, some aging Americans may not have as much internet savvy, so they could fall victim to ... [ CONTINUE READING ARTICLE ]
Caring For Aging Parents Can Strengthen Your Family Unit
Your parents have cared for you your entire life. As roles reverse, you likely want to do everything you can for them. While you try to make sure many of their needs are met, disagreements about your parents' care and financial situation could arise among family members. Your siblings probably want to do all they can for your parents as well. But you may have different concerns about how to address the needs of your aging parents. It is not uncommon for family members to have disputes - especially during trying times, and in some cases, mediation might be necessary ... [ CONTINUE READING ARTICLE ]
The Epidemic of Loneliness
More and more research is coming out that shows that loneliness is becoming an epidemic. Aging adults aren't exempt from this epidemic. In fact, our aging loved ones may be suffering from loneliness at higher than expected rates. AARP put out a survey that indicates more than 42 million adults in the U.S. over the age 45 suffer from chronic loneliness, and that 17 percent of adults over 65 are isolated. While loneliness and isolation are different - the former being a subjective feeling and the latter being measurable - ultimately, the concerns of both are similar. What does loneliness ... [ CONTINUE READING ARTICLE ]