Blog

Check out three of many questions that elder care experts such as myself are urging adult children to ask their parents during Alzheimer’s and Dementia Awareness Week (February 14th– 21st).

With medical technology constantly improving and people living longer as a result, even the most financially-savvy individual can find their savings or retirement accounts sorely lacking in the later stages of life.

It’s officially December, which means the “snowbirds” are starting to take flight! As an elder attorney in Sacramento, I am all too familiar with this term! However, if you aren’t familiar with snowbirds, they are essentially people who take flight every winter in favor of a warmer climate.

Regardless of who you fellowship with this time of year, the holidays are an excellent time to pay close attention to aging relatives and note any changes that may indicate the need for increased care. This is especially important for people who have aging relatives that live alone or do not have a solid family support system at their disposal.

Being a caregiver is a huge responsibility. There are a lot of emotional headaches, financial burdens and pressures that naturally accompany the job. Anyone who takes on this role, whether it relates to caring for their aging parents or someone else in need, has my utmost admiration and respect.

I spend a lot of time talking about the need to implement a comprehensive estate plan so your family, assets and wishes stay protected should the unthinkable happen. And while many people “in theory” see the importance of such planning, the truth is that you probably will not be around to see the benefits of your work.

Pre-planning and pre-paying for one’s own funeral is a topic that is coming up more and more with my clients. While this discussion has always been a part of my planning process, it is something that people are bringing up proactively more and more in recent years.

This month we celebrate the 75th anniversary of social security. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935. The concept was simple; younger workers would contribute payroll taxes and retired workers would have a more secure retirement.