Virtual Dementia Tour

Trying to mimic the feelings of a person with dementia, caregivers often go through a virtual tour, aiming to increase empathy for dementia patients. Some of their experiences include the following feelings and emotions. It was dim; my world was reduced to shadows but the worst part were the spikes inside my shoes. Then there…

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Importance of a will for Medicaid planning

For married couples, updating wills and beneficiary designations are important parts of Medicaid planning. Most of our clients have “I Love You” wills that leave everything to their spouse after their death. Likewise, their assets have their spouses as the Payable on Death Beneficiaries.  This can be a huge issue if the spouse is receiving…

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How often should I update my will?

“Do I need to update my will? My situation is very straightforward, and I don’t think anything has changed.” We are often asked this question, and everyone hopes that the answer is: “No—whatever you put in place 15 years ago is probably still fine.” Unfortunately, there are many reasons your will might need to be…

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Can my dad create a new will even if he has dementia?

We often hear from family members that assume it’s too late for their loved one to create and sign a new will because the person has dementia. Yes, at some point in the disease process, a person living with dementia will lose the capacity to sign legal documents. Having a diagnosis of dementia, however, does…

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Learning About Hospice

Hospice has been covered by Medicare since 1982. Health-care providers have to certify that a patient is terminally ill, with six months or less to live, which can be difficult to predict, according to both Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care and professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Mount Sinai…

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Hospice Care – When to Begin?

Many people who are near the end of life wait too long to enter hospice care, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In hospice care, attempts to cure a disease are usually replaced with treatments solely for pain and suffering, delivered by a specialized team. It usually…

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Caregiving is Risky Business

Retirees have been hearing a steady drumbeat of warnings about the threat of high long-term health care expenses. Many articles about long-term care discuss strategies from the perspective of retirees who eventually might need care near the end of their lives. These articles encourage retirees to take responsible steps to pay and arrange for care,…

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Avoid Holiday Stress

The holiday season is often a stressful time for those with dementia and their caregivers. The celebrations, decorated spaces, visitors, and interruptions in routine can leave those with dementia feeling agitated, confused and overstimulated. The caregivers are often frustrated and anxious. The Alzheimer’s Association offers the following guidelines to minimize discomfort during this time of…

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Moving Your Parent To Your Home

Remodel, accommodate, share, prepare, budget – these are just the beginning concerns to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the move-in. Setting expectations about private versus shared areas of the home, determining who is in charge and what the financial expectations are will have to be immediately determined. Some initial objectives include providing the proper…

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