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Question of the Day on ElderCareMatters.com: "I am an Elder Care Professional with 15 years experience in helping families with their elder care matters. Should I be listed on ElderCareMatters.com?"

Answer:  If you are a professional who helps families plan for or deal with ANY of their elder care matters, then you owe it to yourself to be listed on America's #1 online source for "Elder Care Experts"….

ElderCareMatters.com

ElderCareMatters.com is where you will find more than 2,000 competent, caring elder care experts located across America, including:

  • Elder Law Attorneys
  • Estate Planning Advisors
  • Financial Planners
  • Investment Advisors
  • Geriatric Care Managers
  • Insurance Professionals
  • Life Care Planners
  • Professional Organizers
  • Reverse Mortgage Lenders
  • Senior Move Managers
  • Senior Real Estate Professionals
  •  Tax Advisors
  • Aging in Place Professionals
  • Daily Money Managers
  • And other elder care experts with long and successful careers working with seniors and their families

This is also where you will find some of America's best:

  • Assisted Living Communities
  • Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
  • Continuing Care Retirement Communities
  • Home Care Agencies

Together, we provide families across America with:

  • Unparalleled professional expertise
  • Up-to-date elder care information & answers to your elder care questions
  • Competent, caring assistance with a wide range of elder care services

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional who helps families with ANY of their elder care matters, then request today an Application for Membership in the national ElderCare Matters Alliance and get listed on ElderCareMatters.com - America's #1 source for "Elder Care Experts" plus information and answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters, LLC
ElderCareMatters.com

 

 

 

Question of the Day on ElderCareMatters.com: “For some reason, my aging parents are stonewalled about signing a healthcare power of attorney. They seem to think that one of them will always be available to take care of the other. As they age, it is becoming more and more apparent that this issue needs to be discussed, but they refuse any attempt on any family member's part to do this. I believe they view it as a means for someone to take control, thus losing their independence. What would you suggest?”

Answer:  In Massachusetts and probably other states, if  married couples do not have  a health care proxy (HCP) in place and one of them needs hospital care the other will have no rights with respect to his or her spouse's health care needs.
 
In circumstances where the hospitalized spouse loses competency to decide an emergency, guardianship will be required. The cost will then become large because court action will be required. If these people are hesitant they can name each other as health care agent followed by a trusted child as an alternate. Also they should think about a durable financial power of attorney  because a health care proxy only addresses health issues, and if one of them becomes incompetent the other can take over with the financials. Without that document financial institutions would require a Conservatorship– again an expensive proposition. Every person needs to have these 2 documents in place. The fiscal and emotional costs to the family would be far greater than the actual legal costs to retain an attorney to draft them.

Susana Lannik, Attorney at Law
Law Office of Susana Lannik, LLC
Newton, Massachusetts  02458
617-658-2980
www.LannikLaw.com
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Massachusetts chapter

Question of the Day on ElderCareMatters.com: "Is there a form that would spell out my wishes for my care if I become disabled physically or mentally?"

Answer:  A health care power of attorney would be important if you became mentally incompetent–authorizing an agent to make health care decisions for you.

To locate competent elder care professionals who are located near You and can help you with this type of elder care matter, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online source to find elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

John E. Settle, Jr., Esq.
John E. Settle, Jr., Attorney at Law 
Bossier City, Louisiana  71111
318-742-5513
Member of the ElderCare Matters Alliance, Louisiana chapter

Question of the Day on ElderCareMatters.com: "We recently moved my 86 year old unmarried aunt from Rhode Island to Michigan to be near me, her only niece and the person who has her financial and medical POA. To thank me for taking care of all the details of the move, she wants to give me her 2005 Hyundai Elantra. We have set her up in Assisted Living and she has enough money to pay for 5 years of that care. However, if she becomes more ill during that time and must be moved to a nursing home, she will go through her funds more quickly and may need to go on Medicaid before the 5 years are up. Would Medicaid consider the transfer of the car to me in 2011 to be a "gift" that would be identified during the 5 year look back? Could she legally avoid that potential problem if she gave me the car as payment for "services rendered"? What type of paperwork would we need document the transaction. Or could she possibly sell it to me for a nominal fee?"

Answer:  I would NOT risk losing Medicaid over this car. I suggest buying the car for a nominal price.

To locate competent elder care professionals who are located near You and can help you with this type of elder care matter, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online source to find elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

John E. Settle, Jr., Esq.
John E. Settle, Jr., Attorney at Law 
Bossier City, Louisiana  71111
318-742-5513
Member of the ElderCare Matters Alliance, Louisiana chapter

This Week's Featured Elder Care Expert on ElderCareMatters.com is John E. Settle, Jr., Attorney at Law, member of the Louisiana chapter of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance

John E. Settle, Jr., Attorney at Law

John E. Settle, Jr., Esq.
1915 Citizens Bank Drive    
Bossier City, LA 71111
Telephone: 318-742-5513
e-mail:   Send E-Mail
website: http://www.SettleLawFirm.com

This week's Featured Elder Care Expert is John E. Settle, Jr., Attorney at Law, Member of the Louisiana chapter of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance (a network of 1,450+ elder care experts) and Founder of the Law Office of John E. Settle, Jr., a law firm in Bossier City, Louisiana, a firm that specializes in Elder Law, Estate Planning, Elder Abuse Litigation and closely related practice areas. 

Every day this week (M-F), Mr. Settle will answer one of your questions about his areas of expertise (Elder Law, Estate Planning, Elder Abuse, Probate, etc), and this selected question along with Mr. Settle 's answer will be posted on the Featured Elder Care Question of the Day section of ElderCareMatters.com.

So if you would like to ask Mr. Settle a question about one of your elder care matters, just send a short email (a few sentences only please) to: questions@ElderCareMatters. com.  And remember to bookmark ElderCareMatters.com and check back often to see if your question is our Featured Elder Care Question of the Day.

Question of the Day on ElderCareMatters.com: "I am eighty years old and in excellent health. I have family and friends who can act as executors of my Will and Living Trust. I also have a power of attorney and a Health Care directive However, I don't feel that they would have the expertise to administer my estate (modest though it is). Do I need an Elder Care Lawyer or an Estate Planning Lawyer to help my executors in the case of a serious illness or my demise? What is the cheapest way to get the service that I need?"

Answer:  It is a great idea to have a relationship with an elder law attorney so that your family and friends know who to turn to if something were to happen.  The attorney can help them with decisions if you have a serious illness or require extended care.  The attorney can also help them through the estate administration process after you pass away.  Creating a relationship with a good elder law attorney does not have to be expensive.  Many attorneys either charge a fixed fee for their help or charge hourly only for the work they do for you.  When you meet with an attorney, he or she can talk about how they charge and help work with you to make sure that you are comfortable with how things would be handled.

To locate competent elder care professionals who are located near You and can help you with this type of elder care matter, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online source to find elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Angela N. Manz, Attorney at Law
The Law Firm of Angela N. Manz
Virginia Beach, VA  23452
757-271-6275
Member of the ElderCare Matters Alliance, Virginia chapter

www.ElderCareMatters.com – Experts, Information & Answers

At last, families across America have one resource they can tap into daily to relieve the stress of aging…

ElderCareMatters.com

 

ElderCareMatters.com, along with the 1,350+ members of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, provides families with the elder care resources they need to plan for and deal with their issues of aging.  In fact, here is where you will locate, by state, some of America's top elder care professionals who provide a total of 68 different elder care services that will help you plan for and deal with your family's issues of aging, including:

  1. Advance Medical Directives
  2. Aging In Place Services
  3. Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
  4. Annuities 
  5. Arbitration 
  6. Asset Protection Planning
  7. Assisted Living Communities 
  8. Assisted Living Referral Services
  9. Bankruptcy
  10. Caregiving Education 
  11. Consumer Law
  12. Continuing Care Retirement Communiities
  13. Crisis Intervention
  14. Daily Money Management / Bill Paying
  15. Disability Income Insurance
  16. Elder Abuse Litigation Services
  17. Elder Law
  18. ElderCare Planning / Long-Term Care Planning
  19. Estate Administration
  20. Estate Liquidation
  21. Estate Planning
  22. Financial Planning
  23. Geriatric Care Management
  24. Guardianship / Conservatorship
  25. Health Insurance
  26. Hoarding Clean Up and Coaching Services
  27. Home Care
  28. Home Downsizing Services
  29. Home Health Care
  30. Home Modifications
  31. Hospice Care
  32. Independent Living Communities
  33. Investment Services
  34. Life Care Planning
  35. Life Insurance
  36. Litigation
  37. Long-Term Care Insurance
  38. Medicaid / Disability Planning
  39. Medical / Healthcare
  40. Medical Alert Systems
  41. Medical Claims Processing
  42. Medical Equipment & Supplies
  43. Medicare Consulting
  44. Medicare Supplemental Insurance
  45. Medication Therapy Management
  46. Moving / Relocation Services
  47. Personal Finance / Accounting / Tax Preparation
  48. Powers of Attorney
  49. Probate
  50. Public / Non-Profit Resources
  51. Real Estate Services
  52. Rehabilitation Services
  53. Residential Psychiatric Care
  54. Respite Care
  55. Retirement Planning
  56. Reverse Mortgages
  57. Securities Arbitration & Litigation Services
  58. Senior Move Management
  59. Senior Move Planning
  60. Social Security Disability Services
  61. Special Needs Planning
  62. Tax Law
  63. Tax Planning
  64. Transportation Services
  65. Trustee / Fiduciary Services
  66. Trusts
  67. VA Benefits
  68. Wills

 

If you and your family need help with your elder care matters, this is where you will find competent, caring elder care experts located near you who provide a total of 68 different services that will help you plan for and deal with your family's issues of aging.  Whether you are looking for:

  • an elder law attorney in Philadelphia
  • a geriatric care manager in South Florida
  • a long-term care insurance professional in Fort Worth,
  • a home care provider in Southern California, or
  • an assisted living community in Phoenix (as shown in the photo above)…

you can count on www.ElderCareMatters.com to help you find the Elder Care Experts and services that you will need in ALL 50 states (plus the District of Columbia).

 

Special Offer for ALL Elder Care Professionals:  The next 125 elder care professionals who apply for Lifetime Membership in the national ElderCare Matters Alliance will receive a 25% discount off the regular price of lifetime membership.

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional – take advantage of this special 25% discount offer and pay only $337.50 for a "lifetime membership" (and there are no annual membership dues, ever!) in the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.   

To request a Membership Application, send an email to: info@ElderCareMatters.com.

Question of the Day: "For how long and where should I keep all my original legal documents, including my original will? I’ve heard that I should not keep them in my safety deposit box."

Answer:  You should keep the most recent version of your legal documents (wills, trusts, powers of attorney) forever (or until any administration on your estate after you die is complete). If you get a new document done, you can destroy the old one.  You can definitely keep the documents in your safety deposit box; however, make sure someone other than yourself has access to the box. That way, if something happens to you, someone can get into the box to obtain your documents.

Ben A. Neiburger, JD, CPA
Neiburger Law, Ltd.
Elmhurst, Illinois  60126
630-782-1766
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Illinois chapter

Question of the Day: "How can I become one of the Elder Care Experts on www.ElderCareMatters.com and help families across America plan for and deal with their issues of aging?"

Answer:  If you are an elder care professional and you would like to "get the word out to thousands of families across America in a cost effective way about how you can help them plan for and deal with their issues of aging", then you should join our 1,250 elder care experts as a lifetime member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.  And, now, if you are one of the next 250 members, you will receive a 25% discount off the regular lifetime membership price.

This 25% discount is available only to the next 250 elder care professionals who join the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional – take advantage of this special 25% discount offer and pay only $337.50 for a "lifetime membership" (and there are no annual membership dues, ever!) to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

To request an Application for Lifetime Membership, send an email directly to: psanders@eldercarematters.com

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters, LLC
1-877-379-4500
www.ElderCareMatters.com

Special Offer: Next 250 Professional Members Receive 25% Discount

If you are an elder care professional and you would like to "get the word out to thousands of families across America in a cost effective way about how you can help them plan for and deal with their issues of aging", then you should join our 1,250 elder care experts as a lifetime member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.  And, now, if you are one of the next 250 members, you will receive a 25% discount off the regular lifetime membership price.

This 25% discount is available only to the next 250 elder care professionals who join the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional – take advantage of this special 25% discount offer and pay only $337.50 for a "lifetime membership" (and there are no annual membership dues, ever!) to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

To request an Application for Lifetime Membership, send an email directly to: psanders@eldercarematters.com

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters, LLC
1-877-379-4500
www.ElderCareMatters.com

Question: When you need a quick answer about an elder care matter, who can you ask?

Answer:  The experts of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

ElderCareMatters.com is now offering a NEW Ask an Elder Care Expert service.

Each week one of our 1,200 experts will answer your family's important questions about elder care matters – from legal, financial, housing, health care, etc.

If you would like to ask one of our Elder Care Experts a question about his/her areas of expertise, just send a short email (a few sentences only please) to:  Questions@ElderCareMatters.com

Every day we will post one of your questions along with an answer provided by our Featured Elder Care Expert of the Week to the homepage of www.ElderCareMatters.com (which is currently visited by thousands of families each week).  Yours may be one of the questions posted.

So bookmark www.ElderCareMatters.com and visit us daily as questions about a wide range of elder care matters are answered by some of America's top elder care professionals with years of experience helping families plan for and deal with their issues of aging.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters
1-877-379-4500
www.ElderCareMatters.com

"How can you assure elders and family that a DNR (do not resuscitate) order will be recognized and followed by EMT’s and ambulance services when 911 is called to the home? Do patient care protocols vary by State statutes?"

Answer:  I imagine that every state is different.  In Massachusetts, the person who is appointed your Health Care Agent under a Health Care Proxy can make the DNR decision.  You can also make it yourself if you are competent to do so.  There is a form you can get to fill out from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs here, or any nursing facility or hospital. That form AND your Health Care Proxy should be in a place in your home as well as in your medical records where the ambulance service can get it.  We too have had circumstances where these wishes have been ignored, and what I've described above is the process to enable the ambulance service to follow a DNR instruction.  In my experience, it is still a problem because sometimes in the midst of an emergency, there is no one around to show the service the DNR, even if it is posted on the refrigerator.  It is possible to place a laminated card in one's wallet indicating where the DNR order is. Hope this helps.

To locate attorneys in your state who can help you with this elder care matter, I would recommend that you search the ElderCare Matters listing of experts at www.ElderCareMatters.com/statechapters.htm.

Susana Lannik, Attorney at Law
Newton, Massachusetts  02458
617-658-2980
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Massachusetts chapter

ElderCare Matters Alliance now has 1,200 professional members

The ElderCare Matters Alliance is a national organization of 1,200 elder care experts who help families across America plan for and deal with their issues of aging, including providing families with a host of elder care resources that can be found on www.ElderCareMatters.com

If you are a competent, caring elder care professional – you need to belong to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance.

To request a Lifetime Membership Application to the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, send an email to psanders@ElderCareMatters.com

www.ElderCareMatters.com – America's online source for elder care experts who help families plan for and deal with their issues of aging.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters
www.ElderCareMatters.com

“I am concerned about what would happen if I were to become ill and if I lacked the capacity to make my own health care decisions. Specifically, I am wondering whether my agent (Power of Attorney for Health Care) would be able to access my medical records and whether he/she would be able to speak to my doctors on my behalf. "

Answer:  Your agent should be given access based on his/his status as agent.  It is, however, advisable to sign a release granting your agent the right to any information that may be protected under HIPPA, or include some language in your Health Care Proxy.

Sonya Mittelman, Attorney at Law
Law Office of Sonya Mittelman
Bronx, New York  10461
718-863-4647
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, New York chapter