People living with dementia can cause significant distress for their caregivers by exhibiting strange or difficult behavior. This could take the form of repetitive questions (“When am I going home?”), delusional thoughts (“I have to take care of the baby!”), exit-seeking, agitation, verbal aggression, or physical aggression can all appear. These behaviors can seem random and unmanageable.

We’re often told to redirect our loved ones to another activity to distract them from their behavior, but this runs the risk of passing over the real emotion they are expressi…

Care partners of people living with dementia must often cope with their loved one asking the same question many times a day. Why does this happen? How can a care partner respond helpfully while keeping their sanity?
Case Study: “Where’s James?”
Twelve, Anita thought to herself. This was the twelfth time today that she would have to explain to Mom that her son, Anita’s little brother, died of a heart attack years ago at the age of 45. This question came so frequently that Anita had numbed herself. “James is gone, Mom.”

She watched her mother’s face as she …

As health care costs continue to climb, there are four words you’re going to hear more and more over the next few years … “long-term care insurance.” It’s something more retirees — and pre-retirees — will want to seriously consider to prevent their savings from getting depleted as they age.

Here is a primer on long-term care insurance, as well as another long-term care option that can help further protect your retirement savings.
What is long-term care insurance?
Much like health insurance, long-term care insurance is a financial product designed to help you pay fo…

As our parents age, we want to make sure they have the best quality of life possible, and moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility may not always be the answer. That’s where aging in place comes in. Aging in place programs allow our parents to continue living in the comfort of their own homes while receiving the necessary assistance and support to maintain their independence and improve their health and well-being. Aging adults join the program when they are in good health and aged 40 to 85, then remain in the program through their later years. These programs ca…

Elder Law is an extension and refinement of estate planning. An Elder Law attorney can assist with aspects of long term care planning such as  wills, trusts and medical and financial powers of attorney. They can also help you decide what type of care options exist for your older loved ones and how to pay for that care.
Why Long Term Care Planning Is Important
Using a competent Elder Law attorney can seriously reduce the stress you experience as a caregiver of an older adult or disabled person. Unlike many other expenditures in life, an Elder Law attorney can save you mo…