Elder Care & Elder Law Blog

Wait Lists

July 20, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

As a love one’s health changes, some of the most difficult decisions for caregivers involve residential care transitions. Families are often surprised when elderly loved ones end up on wait lists after applying for residence in long-term care facilities. What are these wait lists? How do they work in Connecticut? What do families need to...

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Should Aging Parents with Dementia Lose the Right to Vote?

July 13, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

When parents have always been passionate about exercising their right to vote, adult children don’t think twice about helping them get to the polls. But when advancing dementia diminishes mental capacity, should seniors continue to vote? Who decides if people with dementia have the capacity to vote? How is that assessment made? And where is...

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End-of-Life Stories – Decisions and Disagreements

July 6, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

What happens when elderly parents tell one child that they want their end of life to be handled one way, yet a sibling wants to do something else? What happens in blended family situations when there is a second (or third) spouse and kids from one or more previous marriages involved? I once had two...

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End-of-Life Stories – I’m So Glad I Knew What Mom Wanted

June 29, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

If you’re an older adult with a chronic or terminal illness, it is vitally important to tell your children or other loved ones what decisions you would want them to make about your care if you can’t make those decisions yourself. It’s also important to document those decisions in the form of a living will....

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Let’s Talk about Sex – Part 2

June 15, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

The right to love is considered to be an essential human right. But does that right apply to Alzheimer’s patients? Consider the questions: Can people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, people who are often unable to recognize their own children, give their sound consent to sexual activity? If staff members in a long-term care facility …

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Let’s Talk about Sex – Part 1

June 8, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

As we age, our lives change and it’s impossible to know how these changes will affect us until they happen to us (or to the elderly loved ones in our care). Take sex, for instance. In our youth-worshiping culture, older people aren’t seen as sexual beings, yet research shows that many seniors enjoy physical relationships...

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Book Review: Surviving Probate

June 2, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

If you’re looking ahead to the probate process, I have a book recommendation. Surviving Probate: A Practical Guide for Executors and Trustees explains the basics in 43 short pages. Written by Brad Wiewel, a friend of mine who has an estate planning law practice in Austin, Texas, Surviving Probate: A Practical Guide for Executors and...

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The REAL Reason Prince Didn’t Have a Will… And Why YOU Might Have the Same Problem, Too

May 5, 2016

Steven L. Rubin

Following the shocking death of Prince, folks across the country were equally shocked to learn that the musical genius died without a Will or Trust in place to deal with the distribution of his fortune and valuable music catalogue when he passed away. Dying without a Will in his home state of Minnesota now means...

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This isn’t your grandma’s nursing home—Continuing Care at Home Programs

April 27, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

New approaches to care are giving families more choices than ever before. This article is the second in a three-part series that explores some of the most interesting new developments in long-term care. This week we examine Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) programs. *** Research shows that more than 85 percent of seniors prefer to...

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This isn’t your grandma’s nursing home—Green Home Communities

April 20, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

New approaches to care are giving families more choices than ever before. This article is the second in a three-part series that explores some of the most interesting new developments in long-term care. This week we examine Green House Communities. *** Green House communities represent another model for long-term senior care that prioritizes person-directed care...

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This isn’t your grandma’s nursing home—Person-Centered Care

April 13, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

While my training and education make me an elder law professional, I find that term to be limiting. My goal has always been to be an authority on successful aging. One of the ways I do that is by constantly scanning the horizon in search of new approaches that might work well for my clients....

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National Healthcare Decisions Day in Milford

April 8, 2016

Steven L. Rubin

National Healthcare Decisions Day is on April 16th, and it’s an important reminder for every adult to begin having difficult conversations with loved ones about their most private wishes for medical and end-of-life care. Far too many people assume that their families would make the choices they would want in an emergency. Yet every day...

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Milford Wills and Trusts Lawyer: How to Handle Underage Beneficiaries

April 7, 2016

Steven L. Rubin

Many grandparents wish to leave a legacy behind for their grandchildren; however, they may run into some issues if those children are underage. A Milford Wills and Trusts attorney can help you determine what the best options are for leaving assets to underage beneficiaries, whether those assets are held in a Will or Trust, financial...

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Working with a Business Planning Lawyer to Choose a Business Entity: Part II

April 7, 2016

Steven L. Rubin

A previous post looked at some of the most common business entities that a Milford business planning lawyer will recommend for clients. From the simplicity of a sole proprietorship to the complexity of an S corporation, that piece shared some advantages and disadvantages of each entity when it comes to implementation, accountability, and taxation. With...

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Milford Will and Trust Lawyer: Should My Will Have Co-Executors?

April 7, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

When making an estate plan and Last Will and Testament, many people have a difficult time deciding who should be the Executor of their estate. Oftentimes they will consider naming Co-Executors – two or more people who serve as executor of the estate. Each Co-Executor named in your Last Will and Testament will have authority...

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Milford Elder Law Attorney: Getting Tax Deductions from Assisted Living Expenses

April 7, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

The cost of assisted living facilities continue to rise for seniors and their families, leaving them struggling to make sure their loved ones are receiving the care they need and deserve. While it seems like sometimes there is just no relief from these rising costs, Milford elder law attorneys often advise their clients about tax...

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Elder-Caring Coordination: A new approach to dealing with high-conflict families

April 6, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

Whenever there’s more than one adult child involved in the care of an elderly parent, the potential for disagreement exists. In most cases, siblings are able to put aside their differences and work together. But in a small number of cases—about 1 percent overall—family members have no interest in reaching accord. One adult child thinks...

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Fall Prevention

March 29, 2016

Kaushal Vaidya

Many people refer to our older years in life as the “Golden Years,” and in many ways they are because we have the time to do what we have always wanted to do. While this freedom and independence is wonderful, we must find ways to balance this with our safety. By taking some minor precautions,...

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Milford Estate Lawyer: 4 Steps to Avoid Stress at the End of Life

March 3, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

In general, Americans are very uncomfortable talking about end-of-life issues. It can be hard for people to think about (and plan for) their own death, let alone the death of their loved ones. I get it. Yet, by not discussing these issues, you are leaving your future caregivers (most often your adult children) in an...

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Milford Probate Lawyer: Issues to Consider with an Out-of-State Probate

March 3, 2016

Steven L. Rubin

It’s become more and more common now to see clients come in with probate cases that need to be dealt with in multiple states. Many seniors today are “snow birds,” meaning they spend their winters in states with warmer climates while keeping their actual residency in the state they’ve spent most of their lives in....

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A Helpful Look at the Differences between Estate Planning and Asset Protection in Milford

February 25, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

Estate planning lawyers in Milford are most often considered by folks who are wanting to put their end-of-life affairs in order. The attorney helps them to draw up important documents such as powers of attorney and medical directives, as well as to develop a plan for how an individual’s property will be distributed upon his...

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When Should You Plan?

February 18, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

I don’t always behave the way people expect me to. When I meet with new clients, most expect me to say that they should start putting together their estate plan right away. My response is always the same. “Tell me when you’re going to die or become incapacitated and we can work backwards from there,”...

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Are You an Estate Plan Perfectionist?

February 18, 2016

Steven L. Rubin

Have you put off creating an estate plan because you believe that you have to make provisions for everything that could possibly happen between now and the end of your life? Have you been procrastinating because you think an estate plan is a document you create just once? If either of these statements sounds familiar,...

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Involving the Kids in the Planning Process

February 18, 2016

Franklin A. Drazen

Should you involve your children in the estate planning process? If so, how much do you tell them? When do you tell them? Is it possible to tell them too much too soon? What happens if you tell them too little too late? In my decades of work with families, I’ve found that there’s a...

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How to Survive the Winter as a Senior in Connecticut

February 18, 2016

Kaushal Vaidya

It’s the middle of February, and we find ourselves in the midst of yet another cold Connecticut winter! Although the season is very festive, and nothing is more beautiful than the look of a pristine snow cover, the winter months can be a challenge for seniors. As we get older, this challenge becomes particularly difficult,...

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