What Does “Do Not Resuscitate” Mean to You?
January 29, 2010
Everybody seems to know (from popular TV shows, if nothing else) that DNR means “Do Not Resuscitate”, but do you know what “Do Not Resuscitate” means in your own personal healthcare directive or living will? Too often, when talking with clients about the healthcare documents in their estate plans, they don’t know the extent of their own (or their parent’s or grandparent’s) instructions.
“Do Not Resuscitate” can cover a wide array of options, which is why it is so important to define what “life-saving procedures” means to you, and exactly when you would like your DNR to go into effect. Here are some examples of “life-saving procedures” that you (or your elderly relatives) should talk about with family, medical staff, and your estate planning attorney:
Artificial Nutrition and Hydration When grandma decides to stop drinking fluids orally and begins to dehydrate, does the nursing staff have permission to keep her hydrated via IV fluids? What about if you are in a non-reversible coma and unable to drink liquids on your own?
Antibiotics or Other Medicines Do you include antibiotics in your definition of “life-saving procedures?” Do you still if you have been declared irreversibly brain-dead by two independent physicians? When you are 102 and confined to a bed in a nursing home, do you want to be given medicines to combat pneumonia or other illnesses?
Chemotherapy A point similar to the paragraph above; if you are 102, afflicted with dementia and confined to a bed, do you want to receive expensive and painful chemotherapy treatments if the doctors discover cancer?
Blood Transfusions Blood Transfusions are fairly universally considered “life-saving procedures”, and they should be addressed in your healthcare documents. Do you have religious reasons for refusing a blood transfusion? Do you still want one if you are severely and irreversibly disabled?
Organ Donation Though obviously not considered a “life-saving procedure”, organ donation is a topic you should discuss with your family, medical providers, and estate planning attorney to prevent any misunderstandings or delays in treatment if and when the situation arises.
A healthcare directive is one of the most important documents in your estate plan. State-specific healthcare directives or living wills can often be found for free online or at your doctor’s office, and in a pinch these will work; but they cannot take the place of a conversation with a knowledgeable estate planning attorney who will ensure that all aspects of your decision-making process are addressed and put down in writing.
Your Estate Is Ready For The Kids, But Are The Kids Ready For Your Estate?
January 27, 2010
Many parents spend a lot of time and money ensuring that their estate will go to their children exactly when and how they want it to; they work with the best advisors to create a plan that will transfer their assets as smoothly as possible to their children and grandchildren when the time comes. Ninety-nine percent of the time these parents have in mind that the inherited estate will be used responsibly to help their children and grandchildren pay for schooling, make it possible for one parent to stay home with young children, be put away for retirement, etc. But according to Pamela Black at financial-planning.com, “while estate planners are 98% effective at preparing these assets to be passed on, that preparation goes to waste in 70% of the cases… [because] no one is preparing the heirs for assets.”
When considering how to pass your estate on to your heirs, it is important to take the time to consider how your heirs are likely to handle the new responsibility. While many parents have numerous discussions with their advisors about how they would like their money to be handled, they neglect to have these important conversations with their children because they assume (often erroneously) that they and their children share the same financial values.
Death and money are two of the most uncomfortable subjects for discussion between parents and children, and many families will simply avoid these conversations. But financial advisors and estate planners have seen too many cases of families and carefully crafted estate plans falling apart in the wake of the death of a parent; we know how important it is to have these difficult discussions.
Do you need to spend more time preparing your children for their eventual inheritance? Pamela Black has included in her article a preliminary “Wealth Transition Checklist” to give you an idea of how well prepared your family is for the transition. Bring your kids in with you to your next appointment and let them share in the process of planning for their future. The more they know the better prepared they will be.
The Importance of Being Earnest
January 25, 2010
Do you have a will or a trust?
Has your will or trust been reviewed or updated in the past 3-5 years?
If you answered yes to these questions then you are two steps ahead of 2/3 of the rest of Americans. But the next question is the big one:
Does your family or executor know where your legal documents are stored, and are they able to access them?
Having a will or a trust is essential, but it doesn’t do any good if nobody can find it after you’re gone. Olympic medalist Florence Griffith Joyner (“Flo-Jo”) supposedly had a will when she tragically passed away at the age of 38, but because her husband was never able to locate the original document, a neutral administrator had to be appointed by the court to execute the estate; and whether her estate was executed according to her wishes is anybody’s guess.
A will or a trust often contains sensitive and emotional information, and for that reason many people (understandably) want to keep these documents private; but spending any amount of time or money on your estate planning documents won’t help your family if they can’t locate—or don’t have access to—those documents after your death.
We suggest having an earnest conversation with your family (or one or two select members at the very least) about the existence and location of your personal documents. Although they don’t have to know what is in your will or trust, knowing where those documents are can ensure that the time and money you spent creating them isn’t wasted.
From a Geriatrician’s Point of View
Here is a recent article from a Geriatrician from Western New York, which is reprinted with his permission.
Helping Your Older Parents Stay Happy and Healthy
by Robert Stall MD, Geriatrician
If you’re fortunate enough to have one or both parents still living, you may have noticed a role reversal taking place in your relationship. Remember the days when Mom shuttled you to the doctor whenever you were sick? Now, it may be you who’s driving her to her medical appointments. Perhaps you’ve become even more involved in managing her healthcare needs – serving as her healthcare proxy, moving her into your home to care for her, or even having to select a nursing home for her to live in.
Whatever the case, it’s natural to feel challenged – and, yes, intimidated – in the role you’ve undertaken. But if you stay positive and proactive, you’ll be in a great position to advocate for your parents’ optimal care. And, really, what better way is there to say “Thank You” for all they’ve done for you over the years?
The following six recommendations will help you understand what may be happening to your parents as they age – and what you can do to help.
1. Stay vigilant to sudden changes.
Typically, sudden changes arise from sudden problems. Your elderly father who becomes confused one week but was alert and oriented the week before, or becomes unsteady walking and starts falling, is likely experiencing an acute problem – an infection, medication side effect, or perhaps, a heart attack or stroke.
If you pay attention to your parent’s baseline health and behavior, you’ll be alert to sudden, and subtle, fluctuations. Being attuned to what’s “normal” for your parent is critical in advocating for his care. By informing his physician of these changes, you help ensure that he receives a proper diagnosis and timely treatment – especially important in acute conditions.
2. Investigate the source of gradual decline.
Several years ago, I met an elderly woman living in a nursing home. Her family, assuming she had dementia, had moved her there after she had gradually stopped speaking.
After performing a brief procedure on her, I asked how she was doing. “I’m OK,” she replied.
A miracle? Not exactly. I’d removed bullet-sized pieces of wax from her ears. She’d stopped speaking because her ears were too plugged to hear.
A host of conditions can cause gradual decline. Before jumping to the conclusion – as many people do – that Alzheimer’s disease is the culprit, recognize that your parent may be experiencing an altogether different problem: a vitamin B12 deficiency, an underactive thyroid, Parkinson’s disease or depression, to name a few.
When discussing your parent’s decline with her physician, make sure the two of you consider all the possibilities. To prepare for the appointment, make notes detailing how her decline has manifested itself – loss of appetite, a failing short-term memory and so forth – and how long you’ve noticed these changes. That way, you won’t leave anything out. To help you, I’ve created a free checklist that either you or your parent can complete atseniorselfassessment.com – make sure you print or email the “Test Result Details” at the bottom of the page to analyze your responses and give you advice based on your answers.
3. Know thy parent’s medicine cabinet.
Familiarize yourself with the medications your parent takes: what each one is for and how often he takes them. Make sure you notify each doctor your parent visits of all the medicine he takes, including over-the-counter products. Ask what side effects you might observe from each medication and whether it’s potentially dangerous if your parent takes them together. You also want to tell the doctor whether your parent drinks alcohol or caffeinated drinks and whether he smokes, as these substances can affect some medications’ efficacy and safety. To recognize which medications might cause the symptoms your parent experiences, check out drugscanmakeyousick.com .
4. Discourage ageist attitudes.
Simply put, ageism is prejudice against the elderly. It exists in many forms but can be particularly damaging to an older person’s self-esteem when it assumes that all of her woes are age-related. Here are a couple of ways of expressing ageism to an elderly parent:
“What do you expect at your age?”
“You’re not getting any younger.”
If you’re ever tempted to utter something similar, remind yourself that by chalking up everything that ails her to her age, you sell your parent short. If she’s depressed, it may have nothing to do with the fact that she’s 80 and everything to do with a biological predisposition to depression. And remember that right-knee pain in a 90 year-old can’t be just from age if there’s no problem with her left knee. (More about Dr. Stall and a more in-depth article on the attitude of society towards medical care for the elderly can be found athttp://www.longtermcarelink.net/eldercare/medical_care_issues.htm )
5. Address not just symptoms—but emotions, too.
There is disease and then there is “dis-ease” – that is, a lack of ease, security or well-being. “Dis-ease” can manifest itself as myriad emotions in an elderly person: fear, grief, boredom, embarrassment and sadness among them. The fact is, these emotions can be every bit as debilitating as disease.
Take the case of a parent who’s incontinent. Too embarrassed to socialize, she cuts herself off from friends. Without companionship, she becomes lonely. Instead of allowing her to become a hermit, discuss with her doctor how to address the incontinence. Together, you can consider different solutions that will ease her embarrassment and reinvigorate her social life.
6. Strive to maximize your parent’s quality of life.
No matter our age, we all want to enjoy life to the fullest and have the capability to do the things we want to. Improving the enjoyment of life and a patient’s functional ability are the cardinal goals of geriatric care. But you don’t need a medical diploma on your wall to help your parent achieve either of those goals.
Being there to solve a problem or provide company are tremendously worthwhile services you can provide – no expertise required. Remember, as your parent gets older, his quality of life becomes more important to him than how much longer he lives. And he doesn’t necessarily need medications or surgery to ensure that he’s living the latter part of his life to the fullest.
If he enjoys books but has difficulty reading regular-sized type, check out sight-saving titles at the library. If he’s grieving the loss of his best buddy, introduce him to new acquaintances at the senior center. If he’s living in a nursing home, bring your kids there to share a meal with him.
Sometimes, it’s the small gestures that have the most profound impact. As the child of an elderly parent, you are uniquely positioned to deliver these life-changing gifts.
Dr. Robert Stall is a geriatrician practicing in Tonawanda, New York and a clinical associate professor at the University of Buffalo’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He serves as medical director and attending physician at Beechwood Homes in Getzville and Blocher Homes in Williamsville. To learn more about senior care issues, visit his website at stallgeriatrics.com or call 716-213-4345. For information on a new program offering balance assessment and fall prevention tips, call 716-213-0772.
Pre-Paid Funeral in NewYork Still Important to Medicaid Plan
Read this link to an article in the Chicago Tribune regarding Pre-Need Plans which is a pre-paid funeral. In New York, the prices are rarely fixed,. Rather, the money placed in trust is credited toward the cost of the funeral and the money is placed in an interest bearing account, so the issue is whether the interest rate keeps up with the increase in cost of the funeral. Generally, the higher the rate of inflation, the higher the interest rates offered by the banks. rfemember the late 1970s and early 1980s when both the interest rates charged for loans and offered for savings accounts where between 15-19%.
The linked article is interesting in this economic time but unlikely to reduce the need for Pre-Plan in NY.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sun-funeral-reformmar15,0,1566307.story
Why Should I Consider a Medicaid Plan Now?
While many people wait until the crisis to “plan”, it is more effective and advantageous to plan ahead. A Medicaid Asset Protection Trust can preserve most of the assets while still qualifying for Medicaid benefits. There are many advantages including providing assets for a family emergency or holding the nursing home bed for a loved one while that person is hospitalized.
Think ahead!
Power-of-Attorney Law Postponed
The effective date of the new power-of-attorney law has been postponed to September 1, 2009 to allow consumers, lawyers, bankers, from those drafting the document, to those expected to honor the document, to become fully educated on the requirements of the new law.
One of the goals of the new law is to prevent abuse by the agent.
New York Has a New POWER-OF-ATTORNEY Law
On January 27, 2009, Governor Patterson signed into law new rules for powers-of-attorney. The goal is to reduce abuse and hold the agents more accountable for their misappropriation of the principal’s assets.
The effective date is March 1, 2009, but there is proposed legislation to move out that date so professionals have more time to understand the new requirements. While our office will be ready with the new forms, we will follow on the efforts to move the effective date further out in 2009 or even to January 1, 2010.
Under the new law, the principal will have to sign an addendum if he or she intends to allow major gifting of assets. This is to assure that the principal truly understands that the extent of the powers being granted his or her agent. This allows for Medicaid Planning, and hopefully prevents the agent from accessing the principal’s money without accounting for it.
Do you think this will reduce financial abuse of the elderly?
Medicaid Planning
Many people are confused and intimidated by the Medicaid application and the maze of rules and regulations involved with eligibility for Medicaid benefits. The purpose of this blog is to engage in dialogue about Medicaid Planning and Asset Protection and remove the mystery of the process. Although I am a practicing Elder Law attorney, I do not intend that this blog be used to give legal advice. For that you should consult an elder Law attonrey in your area.
Your Will May Be a Ticking Time Bomb
January 23, 2010
The recent repeal of the estate tax is having unintended consequences for responsible husbands and wives who already had a will or trust in place to protect their spouse and family—instead of protecting them, that existing will could now end up leaving surviving spouses with nothing. Jonnelle Marte at the Wall Street Journal has this to say:
“It’s a common practice for people to use formulas in their wills designed to send the maximum amount of assets not subject to the estate tax into a trust, often for their children. The remaining assets are usually left to the surviving spouse. But this year, there’s no limit on the assets people can pass to their heirs without being subject to federal estate tax. So all of the assets could go into a trust and the surviving spouse would get zero.”
Does this mean you’ll have to get your will or trust updated every year? No. But it does mean that you’ll want to get your will or trust reviewed by an estate planning attorney this year. A review of your estate planning documents is a quick and easy process, especially if you don’t have any other significant changes to make. One thing is for sure, the small amount of time you spend making sure your documents are current is well worth the protection and benefit your spouse and family will receive from it.