So many clients tell me that they want to add a child to their bank account so that the child can help them pay bills and manage their finances, and also so someone will have access to the bank account should anything happen to the parent. I agree - but I don't agree with...
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Putting Assets in Joint Names to Avoid Probate – Will It Work?
Lots of people want to avoid probate. That's the court process that a family must go through to distribute anything that was in the decedent's name alone upon her passing. Despite its bad reputation, probate isn't the end of the world. Yes, it's a hassle, and yes, there are hoops to go through, but...
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Do You Really Need a Will?
If you want to have a say in who gets your possessions after you die, then yes. If not, then the "laws of intestacy" govern what happens to an estate when a person dies without a Will.
A typical scenario is one parent dies leaving his spouse and children. Without a Will, anything that was...
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HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project: Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?
This weekend I watched the film on grandchildren caring for grandparents with Alzheimer’s. I was floored by the patience and persistence these kids displayed.
One theme that the film highlighted with “staying in the moment.” This is something we all did as kids (remember focusing on a ladybug crawling up a blade...
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HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project: Caregivers
This weekend I watched the film Caregivers (don’t you just love On Demand?). One theme that jumped out was the isolation that caregivers suffer. Several of the film’s stars (I think that’s a good name for them) talked about how very quietly the invitations to events and gatherings stopped. Not only does...
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ARTZ is Artists for Alzheimer’s
A ground-breaking group of artists has put together training for museum staff to allow them to host small groups of people with Alzheimer's along with their families and care partners. Research shows that people with AD can tap into long-held memories through an art medium. Spending time with, or, creating art, can bring...
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HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project
Have you been watching this series? So far I’ve only been able to catch the film on scientific research. They are describing all sorts of research and discoveries occurring in the field, all exciting and cutting-edge stuff. The field is so young, and there is such an abundance of research activity testing a...
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Why Should My Elder Law Attorney Draft My Health Care Proxy? I Have the Form from the Hospital.
Massachusetts hospitals hand patients a two-page Health Care Proxy form that was developed in 1999 and does not accommodate for changes in the law since then or for issues pertinent to elders.
You probably have signed a "HIPAA" form by now at your doctor's office. This form allows the doctor's office to share your confidential information with...
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Home Modification Loans Available at 0% to 3% Interest
Many elders and disabled folks are doing well living at home, but their house needs some modification to make life a little easier. Maybe it’s building a wheelchair ramp to the front door, widening doorways, modifying the kitchen and bathroom, or installing a lift. Whatever it might be, the state is providing very...
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It Just Got More Expensive to Ignore Your Estate Planning in Massachusetts
As part of your estate planning work, your attorney will prepare a Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy. These documents are critical to allow another person whom you appoint to legally care for you when you are unable to manage your own affairs, for example, if you are in a car...
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