Aging Parents

The golden years are turning into bankruptcy red for many retired and aging Americans. While medical advances are keeping seniors alive longer, the associated healthcare costs in the quest for longevity are being off-loaded onto the older individual at a time when reduced income is a hallmark of senior living.

The traditional senior housing market is undergoing a profound change. In 2018 senior housing occupancy fell to an eight-year low, even as the senior population continues to increase, as competition for the younger baby boomer market is ramping up and forcing a change to more traditional independent and assisted living options.

Jerry’s mother Jane decided, on her own, that it was time to move into an assisted-living facility. Jane’s arthritis had worsened to the point where she couldn’t dress, she struggled to get in and out of the shower, and she was lonely living by herself.

Senior living faces many issues. Solutions to these problems are consistently being discussed by the government and other stakeholders. However, many of these issues are difficult and costly to solve. For example, staffing and regulation of facilities are problems consistently faced by senior living. Fraud and abuse are also issues that seem to plague this industry. Let’s take a closer look at these issues.

Alzheimer's disease is becoming more prevalent among aging Americans, and there are more aging Americans than ever before. Alzheimer’s disease has three typical biomarkers: plaques of beta-amyloid protein, tangles of tau protein, and loss of connections in the synapses that communicate information between brain cells. Now a simple blood test may be able to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s years before any symptoms, like memory and thinking decline, become apparent. The test involves the identification of changes in levels of Read more . . .

We, lawyers, prepare powers-of-attorney documents so that when our clients can no longer act for themselves, the documents will convey on other trusted people the authority to act on our clients’ behalf.

 But when it comes to actually using those documents at the time of a health-care crisis, clear and powerful documents are just the beginning. The decision-points can (and must) be put down on paper in advance, but when it comes to end-of-life situations, the clarity on which we lawyers thrive can be very hard to find.

 Sitting in her lawyer’s office, the client may have been quite certain about health-care decisions. She does not want her life prolonged by a battery of aggressive treatments, where these would not preserve her quality of life.

Your senior years should not be plagued with money woes. The stress that money problems bring not only ruins your aging experience but can also be disastrous to your health. Rising health care costs and your increased need for health care can add up to big bills that can further tax your health. To age well, you must use sound financial judgment as well as make healthy choices for your body and mind. The goal is to remain as healthy as you can for as long as you can and have a healthy bank account to support those goals.

The summer months offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy being outside with friends and family. The elevated temperatures, however, can present dangerous risks for seniors that do not necessarily apply to younger people. These heat-related health risks are collectively known as hyperthermia, as opposed to hypothermia, the latter which occurs when the body temperature becomes too low.
Read more . . .