Elder Law Caregiver Series...

Continuing with our caregiver theme, people often ask about the things they should be asking themselves and their loved ones as they plan for the future. 

We identified a half-dozen of these questions in our previous post. Here are some additional questions for you to think about, which might help you identify goals and what is important to you.

• Do I expect family members to help me as I age?

• What supports are available to help me live independent from my family?

• Will I be able to take care of my own needs without help from other family members or government programs?

• Do I have knowledge about the resources that are available to me to assist with my planning?

• Am I living a healthy lifestyle and taking care of myself?

• Do I have a plan in place in the event of an emergency

There are many resources available to help with these issues; please contact your elder law attorney for assistance.

Caregiver Series...

As we age, for planning purposes, people often ask about the questions they should be asking themselves and their loved ones. Here are some questions for you to think about, which might help you identify goals and what is important to you.   

• Do I want to leave an inheritance for my children?
• Do I want to make sure my spouse is taken care of?
• Do I want to stay in my own home?
• If I need help making decisions relating to my health care or finances, do I have the legal documents in place without the need for a guardianship?
• If I have a disabled child, do I have the planning in place to ensure he/she is taken care of after I am gone?
• Have I communicated my wishes to my loved ones regarding end of life decisions?

The Impact of Recent Elder Law Court Rulings

Earlier this year the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, which by-and-large ensured the preservation and continued roll-out of improvements and protections for older adults. 

These improvements will likely bring about significant changes in elder law, the details of which are currently being evaluated. 

We will be sharing additional information in a future post. In the meantime, it's important to note that these decisions will impact different people in different ways depending upon a number circumstances specific to each family's situation. To determine how your family might be affected, the safest course of action is to consult with your elder law attorney.

Additional Elder Law FAQ...

Continuing the theme of our previous post, five additional questions that are often associated with the practice of elder law are:

• How do I best protect assets?
• When should I begin the process of asset protection?
• How do I find an appropriate assisted care or nursing home?
• How do I interpret long term care contracts or agreements?
• Who should I contact to discuss services at my home?

Given increases in average life-expectancy and changes in family structure over the years, elder law is an emerging field that, by all expectations, will become an area of critical importance to most of us. With this in mind, our next several posts and newsletters will include relevant information on the subject, which we hope you'll find helpful.

Emerging Trends in Elder Law

The challenges of long-term care planning and the complicated nature of Medicaid continue to be among the most-frequent concerns of people we meet. These are the fastest-growing elements of an elder law practice... http://www.curtinlawoffice.com/elder-law.htm

Key Estate Planning Issues

When first determining your estate planning goals, there are a number of items to consider regardless of your age. Most estate plans begin with fact finding, and an attorney usually has a standard questionnaire to facilitate a thorough assessment. Confidentiality will also be important, and if you don’t know an attorney you might seek a referral from a trusted advisor. 

It's also important to recognize that each family situation is different and will require an individualized assessment. Nonetheless, there are common issues that might influence your initial estate planning goals. 

These key issues typically include matters such as family occupational information, health and medical history. 

You can review a list of ten key issues that might impact your initial estate planning goals on our web site.

Recommended Reading About Alzheimers

Families dealing with Alzheimers or those who might have colleagues or clients touched by Alzheimers might find the book "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova a good resource.


It is an insightful and touching portrayal of the Alzheimer's journey. This fictional story is narrated by Dr. Alice Howland who is an esteemed psychology professor at Harvard. 


Alice is almost 50 years old when the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease emerge and the author does a wonderful job describing what is going on in Alice's head as the disease worsens. As one reviewer of the book stated, this book will inform you, it will scare you and it will change you.