Articles

Hoping to Win the Sweepstakes?

Be aware that every time you fill out a form to enter a sweepstakes, you are potentially providing information which can and is sold to thieves.  Many are not aware that sweepstakes entrants often are asked to fill out forms stating their buying habits, age, and other personal information.  The sweepstakes itself could be a fake.  The tactic of using sweepstakes entry forms to collect lists of names for scam artists is common. Some of the entry forms are intended solely to create databases of information on millions of elderly Americans.  Databases can be >>

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Did you know that scam artists pay money for lists of names and telephone numbers, and then use slick sales people to try to get access to your bank account information?  The New York Times reports that large corporations such as Wachovia bank and other banks do little or nothing to stop unauthorized persons from stealing from vulnerable elderly persons.  The scam artists trick seniors into giving out financial information over the telephone.

The scammers pay “information brokers” for the lists of names, and then make contact with you by telephone.  The information brokers do not care about >>

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Many in Marin may not be aware of an organization formed to combat elder abuse in our county.  The Marin County Financial Abuse Expert Team (FAET) is a partnership of public and private professionals who volunteer their specialized services to consult on complicate elder financial abuse cases.  The team was created to provide case consultations, help educate the community about financial abuse issues and train other professionals in the prevention of financial abuse.  FAET was founded in June, 2006 through a collaboration between Legal Aid of Marin and the Elder Financial Protection Network, a non-profit dedicated to addressing >>

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 Families who are attempting to attend to the needs of their elder loved ones may find themselves in conflict over who will be in charge, how the available money of the elder will be spent, and who should take over when their loved one can no longer manage living on his/her own. Powers of attorney may give family members the authority to manage money for the elder, but when the elder is not competent to sign such a document, a court appointed conservator may be given the job of overseeing the finances and sometimes the medical needs of an elder who is not competent to manage >>

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  With the graying of America, the Baby Boom generation is facing an unprecedented challenge:  how to make decisions about our aging parents and other loved ones.  The general population is living longer than ever, though dying of the same things that have been the major causes of death in the U.S. for many decades:  heart disease, strokes, and cancer.  Many of our elderly parents are living longer with disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias, as well as heart disease, cancer or after stroke, and the gradual erosion of independence at home.

For many of us, the concern about the outcomes >>

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      The term “elder abuse” sometimes makes us think of a scam artist selling a bogus financial investment to older people.  Sometimes we see ads from the local District Attorney’s office showing bruised faces of an older person, and we are horrified.  What does the term really mean?

     The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse defines it as “any form of mistreatment that results in harm or loss to an older person”.  It is usually divided into the categories of physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, psychological abuse, financial abuse, and neglect/self-neglect.

        We focus on the categories of physical abuse and financial >>

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      Along with rapid growth of our elderly population, we are seeing an increase in psychological problems in our elders.  Attention to these is needed, both by families and caregivers.  The number of people aged sixty-five and older is increasing such that within the next fourteen years this segment of our population could comprise about a fifth of the total population of the U.S.  The age group of eighty and above is the fastest growing population in the world.  Along with the growth rate comes an increase in the number of ailments suffered by this graying group, including primary dementia, as well as the physical problems of >>

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Realizing that aging parents need assistance with daily living can be stressful, frightening, and sometimes overwhelming.  If you are facing this type of situation, you are not alone.  A survey by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) has identified nearly 22 million U.S. households that care for relatives aged 50 or over who are either ill or disabled. 

According to the NAC, most of these caregivers fall into a category known as “informal caregivers” – usually spouses, adult children, other relatives, or friends – many of whom cover the costs for the aging relatives’ health care and >>

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Preventing Serious Falls: Tips for Older Adults and Their Loved Ones

From The American Geriatrics Society’sFoundation for Health in Aging

Falls are a leading cause of serious injuries in older adults. Every year, about a third of older Americans fall. Injuries from falls can lead to hospitalization, nursing home admission, and even death among older people.

The chance of falling increases as we get older. Health problems such as arthritis, heart disease, muscle weakness, poor balance or vision, foot problems, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and even certain medications can increase your chance of falling. Dangerous things around the home – slippery throw rugs, and >>

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How to deal with Nursing Home Disputes

 

Most of us have had or will have a relative or loved one cared for in a nursing home at some time in our lives.  Perhaps many of us will, ourselves, be there one day.  The graying of America has put many of our loved ones in the care of these institutions now.  With the increase in our population of elders, the flaws in the care of elders become ever more apparent, leading to more complaints about care, billing, short staffing, administration and other problems.  These complaints are certainly appropriate for mediation but few >>

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LET YOUR PARENTS HAVE A SAY Who Jackie Pinkowitz and her father, Melvin Spungin, 88, Colts Neck, N.J. Situation When Parkinson’s disease kept Spungin from living alone, he and his daughter chose the Monmouth Crossing assisted-living facility in Freehold, N.J. “Parents and kids have different ideas about what makes the best place,” she says. She was impressed that the facility was connected to a state health-care system. He liked the food and the non-hotel atmosphere.

Assisted living How much assistance can you really count on? Since they started to dot the U.S. landscape in the early 1980s, assisted-living facilities have become the best hope >>

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Whether you are across town or across the country from your aging loved one, the need for help may arise as your loved one’s condition changes.  The elder’s physical frailty, mental decline, and loss of independence are all factors which can affect your ability to help your loved one.  For those who have no training in the care and management of elders, the complex matter of safeguarding one’s parent while assuring quality of life can be too overwhelming to handle alone.  Your relationship with your aging parent may not have been comfortable before he or she began to decline with >>

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Most people seem to be somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of seeing a lawyer.  First, the task of finding one you like can seem daunting.  But even if you find a lawyer you like, it can be difficult to determine whether the lawyer is actually doing a good job.  The average person has little to go on by way of comparison of a lawyer’s work against any sort of standard.  After all, one cannot go around looking at other people’s wills or trusts to see if they stack up against the will or trust your lawyer is drawing up for >>

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Even though the subject is difficult, it is critical to be on the alert for common danger signs that an elder is "slipping" and needs someone to step in and take over with money.  Some warning signs include:

 

1.   The elder has forgotten to pay an important bill and you notice collection letters or dunning notices in the elder’s mail.

2.    The elder has neglected a part of daily life which she or he has always attended to in the past.  Decreased ability in keeping house, personal grooming, maintaining the yard, putting gas in the car, or other forgetting can alert you >>

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Maintaining Mental Wellness

 By Dr. Mikol S. Davis, Psychologist, and Carolyn L. Rosenblatt, R.N., Attorney at Law

 

The challenges of maintaining mental wellness and getting older involve increasing effort with the passing years. It is quite common for us to experience a sense of loss, as our physical body diminishes in strength and function. In addition we experience loss in our families and friends as those close to us pass away and we live on.  How do we stay mentally healthy with all this change going on?

 

Maintaining a sense of purpose in life is critical to maintaining mental wellness.

People sometimes lose >>

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