The Perfect Gift Idea 2022
Most of our parents get to the age (after retirement) when it can be very hard to think up gift ideas. They have or plan to downsize their homes for easier maintenance and less cost. This makes many of their collections a burden rather than a source of joy. Many...
How to Age Well
When we talk about successful or healthy aging, what exactly do we mean? Who defines that? Healthy aging has been defined in numerous ways. Definitions usually include things like disease prevention, high physical and cognitive functioning, and the ability to engage...
Hearing Aids Available Over-the-Counter
On June 16, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule to improve access to hearing aids which may in turn lower costs for millions of Americans. This action establishes a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, enabling consumers...
Add My Kid’s Name to My Bank Account?
A client asked me this question this week. As usual, the answer is “It depends.” Everyone’s legal, health and financial situation is a little different. Some factors it can depend on will be discussed below. But the first question is: What do you want to...
Do I Need a Qualified Income Trust?
If you or a loved one needs long term care, you might have to rely on the Medicaid program to pay for most of the cost of that care. Since nursing home care on average costs over $10,000 per month in Florida, most people do not have enough income to pay that without...
Common Signs of Memory Loss
If you are caring for an aging relative, you may notice some gaps in their memory beginning. Loss of memory can be a part of the aging process. As you care for a loved one, how do you know when memory issues are serious enough to warrant intervention? What happens...
Do My Kids Automatically Inherit?
In Florida, inheritance rights of children in an estate depend on whether the decedent left a will. If there is a will, it will be clearly stated how much each child should inherit. In many cases, this is a straightforward process. For example, one may state that...
Asset Protection and Medicaid Planning
Elderly people often require assistance while doing their activities of daily living (ADL). While some individuals receive long-term care at their residence, others get the assistance they require in a nursing home or facility specializing in assisted living. This...
What is a Life Care Plan?
What is a Life Care Plan? A life care plan is a form that summarizes a person's health and treatment plan. It identifies the health condition, providers, medications and emergency contacts, and options for care. Normally, the plan is completed in consultation with a...
Are You Qualified For Veterans Aid And Attendance?
VA Pension Benefits To Help Pay For Long-Term Care Every household faces financial difficulties when it comes to nursing home care. If you are not aware yet, both men and women who have served their country could be eligible for special VA subsidies to help mitigate...
Estate Planning-5 Basic Estate Planning Steps
Estate planning is the process of organizing and planning the dispersal of your property and money when you are deceased. This allows you to gift your assets to family and others under legal guidance. Taking stock of what you own is the first step in basic estate...
Gifting Real Property Poses Problems
Sometimes our clients want us to prepare gifting real property (usually their home) .to their children. They may believe that they could wait out the five-year ineligibility period for gifting and obtain Medicaid. We always try to caution that such actions can cause a...
Guardianship and Power of Attorney
A good Florida estate plan will always include planning for possible incapacity. A Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) names a trusted person to make financial decisions for you, while an Advance Directive for Healthcare does the same for health decisions. But there...
Marathon Thoughts
My marathoning started in 2013 with a “one and done” running of the Boston marathon. I thought for my 50 year-old midlife crisis I would run one marathon and then stick to 5ks and half marathons. You might recall that 2013 was the year of the marathon bombing. I...
How to Engage with Your Demented Loved One
As their disease progresses, it can be hard to stay engaged with a demented loved one. Sometimes, due to cognitive or physical limitations, the ability to participate in previously enjoyed hobbies and activities is limited. It is easy to think that as the disease...
Avoiding Scams
Recently Valentine’s Day came around bringing with it new issues involving avoiding scams. Scammers never give up and never tire of trying new ways to reach personal and financial information. One reason they never give up is because their tricks work on many...
Why Choose an Elder Law Attorney?
You may wonder why you should choose an Elder Law Attorney. Many people, even those over 65, feel that all they need are estate planning documents. A typical husband and wife may have a few health issues but no real crisis. We definitely believe that everyone should...
Applying for Medicaid with an Income Trust
If you or a loved one needs long term care you might have to rely on the Medicaid program to pay for most of the cost of that care. Since nursing home care on average costs over $9000 per month in Florida, most people do not have enough income to pay that without...
Do I Need an Elder Law Attorney?
Some people ask us “What is an elder law attorney?” It’s not necessarily a very old lawyer. Instead it is an attorney who focusses on the special needs and concerns of those who are aging. Elder law attorneys may help with planning for disability, planning for...
Avoiding Probate in Florida
Probate can be slow, involves court costs and attorney’s fees, and will involve a court. For all these reasons, you might want to avoid probate. This article will cover some practical steps you can take in order to avoid probate. Of course there are some situations...
How to Choose Legal Representatives
When you are thinking about signing your estate planning documents you will need to make a series of choices...including naming a legal representative, someone else to act for you. You need to have someone in mind you can trust to help manage your financial affairs...
Planning for the High Cost of Nursing Home Care
Have you made a plan to deal with the high cost of nursing home care? If not, you need to look into how an Elder Care law firm can help you protect you and your family. We often hear about how important it is that we plan for the future. Whether it...
Planning for Legal Issues in a Blended Family
As elder lawyers we sometimes think of our clients as belonging to an “intact” family or a “blended” family. Blended families result where one or both spouses had children from a previous relationship. So some of the adult children are step-children. ...
Pride in Aging
We here at Burzynski Elder Law are proud supporters of the rights and concerns of the LGBTQ community and are happy to assist our clients seeking pride in aging. We treat all of our clients with equal dignity and concern regardless of race, gender, sexual...