Martin, your grandfather, cannot make decisions on his own anymore. A court appoints you to be Martin’s guardian of property, to help Martin manage his money. You become Martin’s “fiduciary.” The law now requires you to act to a high…
There is nothing you can do about aging, and it affects everyone in your family. It can be challenging for adult children to imagine their parents as seniors and to understand and respond to the reality that each parent will…
In order to help Roberto manage his Social Security benefits, you have been assigned to assist him. In the Social Security system, you’ll be called Roberto’s “representative payee.” The situation is similar if you’re appointed to help your elderly father,…
According to sources, long-term care facilities are underfunded by government agencies. They lack the resources to do proper inspections of residential health facilities. You may have seen the rating system provided by the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).…
Nursing homes face a variety of public health challenges from infectious diseases like the flu and COVID-19. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, outlines specific policies and protocols for residential health facilities. These measures outline policies related to…
It is possible to make mistakes when it comes to inheritances and Medicaid. It can be very costly to make those mistakes. When a person is drawing Medicaid benefits and inherits money or property, that inheritance jeopardizes the benefits. The…
Americans who live in nursing homes are among the most vulnerable. When the novel coronavirus did hit, these nursing homes became its ground zero as many residents and workers did not receive testing, and staff found obtaining personal protective equipment…
Elder law and estate planning are often used interchangeably, but there are significant differences between them. While some overlap exists between the two, learning and implementing strategies from both law practice types is crucial to prepare for successful aging and…
Legal guardianship over an adult is known as a conservatorship. There are times when someone (or several people) can act on behalf of another. The conservator is the person(s) with the power to make decisions, and the conservatee is the…
Choosing which of my two children will be my legal representative when I need help paying my bills and talking to doctors is a difficult decision for me. Can’t I just name them both? You can, but please don’t. You…