Category: Health Care Proxy
Estate planning may sound like something that only fabulously wealthy people need to do, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you are an adult, you need an estate plan. If you have children, you really need an estate plan. And if you own something that you would like to give to someone […]
Death is truly our final frontier. Most of us like to imagine a story-book ending: lying in our bed at home, surrounded by those we love, with a skilled hospice worker tactfully hovering in the background. Sadly, 70 percent of Americans die in a hospital, nursing home or long term care facility. Why don’t we […]
When their daughter had a breakdown while attending college, there was nothing that Keisha Sacher’s parents could do when she refused to come home. At age 19, she was an adult. They had no legal control over her. When she finally did return to their home, the family endured a nightmare of her drug addiction, […]
Helping a loved one when they are not able to care for themselves, whether because they are ill or frail due to advancing age, is a challenging task. Oftentimes an adult child is tasked with communicating with doctors, managing a parent’s healthcare and their finances as well. It is a difficult task, but there are […]
The tragic and untimely death of Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown holds a number of lessons in estate planning that are applicable for parents and young adults. Because of laws that control information and decisions with regard to medical treatment, it is imperative that anyone over 18 have written advance medical directives in place. […]
If you do not have a will the state will provide one for you. And if you are married with young children and both parents die who becomes the children’s guardian will be up to the state’s court system. No will? No problem – the state will provide one for you. But how likely is […]
“So don’t give away your money. There are other things you can do ahead of time. Talk to an elder law attorney to make sure you are maximizing your dollars, that you can still give your kids some kind of inheritance and still go into a skilled nursing home on Medicaid.” A recent article in […]
I recently completed my estate plan. I signed a power or attorney but I have no idea why I have it or what I’m supposed to do with it. Do you know what’s really in your estate plan? Do you understand each document that you’ve signed? Maybe it’s time to ask some questions. Unfortunately, when […]
Having a say in your own mental healthcare may be very important to you. But what if someday you’re unable to make decisions about your treatment? A psychiatric advance directive (PAD) is a document written while you’re mentally healthy that can speak for you if you become incapacitated by mental illness. Almost everyone who has […]
If you are about to send a child off to college or to a gap-year program, you’re probably busy with last-minute shopping, packing and worrying about roommates. Here’s one more thing you should do as you prepare for the big separation: Ask this young adult to sign a durable power of attorney and a health […]
