What Are The Most Important Retirement Issues Facing Boomers and Seniors? - Part 2

I tell clients that retirement is one of the most important challenges they'll face. And they have questions. How are we going to make it in retirement? How are we going to address health issues? Financial issues?

Well, for many of us, it isn't going to be with retirement savings - because most of us don't have enough. We haven't planned adequately. And we all know that those who fail to plan...

Here are more issues facing Boomers and seniors about retirement...

* Social Security isn't yet "broken" - but it's on the way. And if you're planning on living on it...good luck! Current estimates say the program can pay all benefits for the next 25 years or so. But all bets are off after that.

* When should you begin taking Social Security? This is the $64,000 (or, for many of us, much larger!) question. For people in good health, the best answer is usually to wait...if they can. Taking benefits at 62 means a 25% hit in what you'd get if you waited until 66. And delaying benefits when you're 66 will raise them by 8 percent a year until age 70. The longer you can hold out, the better.

* Inflation: Overall, inflation is still low, despite increases in energy and food prices. But if the economy continues to recover, we can probably expect some serious inflation. And retirees - more than any other demographic - have to plan for this.

Planning for a successful retirement is like wrestling with an octopus. Just when you think you've got the beast subdued, another tentacle pops up. But we can help.

At the Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we've been helping South Florida families deal with retirement questions for the past 34 years. And we've given them concrete methods of securing their retirements, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid or the VA.

Retirement security is a tough goal to achieve. But we can you get there. And we're just a phone call away.

I'm The Only Family Member Doing Caregiving. How Do I Deal With That...And With Them?

If you think the Hatfields and McCoys went at it, you should see what happens in some families when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It can make that “other” feud seem like child’s play!

Additionally, it can give rise to tremendous resentment on the part of those who do the care-giving for those who don’t.

When this happens, there’s only one thing to do: Recognize that there’s absolutely nothing you can do. And – even harder – let it go!

You have enough to handle. Any additional family matters will only weigh you down even more. Sometimes, family members may be afraid to see their loved one in such a state…or they may be in denial. But that’s their problem. You can only do what’s necessary to take care of yourself.

Care-giving is the toughest job in the world. And it can get even the strongest person down. So your personal priority should be to seek help – from people who can give it to you, rather than those who can’t. Some people seek professional counseling. Others join support groups, where you’ll quickly learn that you’re hardly “the only person” who knows what you’re going through. And, if your family can’t be there for you, maybe a good friend can.

You may want to keep your family in the loop, about the condition, and how your loved one is doing. But don’t harbor false expectations. For the most part, nothing you do or say to your family is going to motivate them to help, if they’re not already motivated.

Even if they can’t help, though…we can!

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we have one of the largest Alzheimer’s/Dementia Resource Centers in South Florida.

Over the past 33 years, we've walked thousands of South Florida families through the Alzheimer’s Journey, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid or the VA. And with another type of “protection,” as well – guidance for the caregiver.

We have the answers to your questions. And we’re just a phone call away.

My Mom Cooperates for her Nurse... But Not for Me. What's the Secret?

The nurse’s “secret” is really not much of a secret, at all – your Mom’s not related to her! Many Alzheimer’s/Dementia patients are more cooperative with non-family members.

Why? Apparently, our loved ones often feel they can be themselves – warts and all – in front of family. But, in front of outsiders, they often tend to be on their best behavior. (Not really so different from everybody else, when you think about it.)

I always tell my clients not to take it personally. Your mother isn’t doing it to hurt you – she has dementia. With many forms of dementia, the inhibitions that once held us back are thrown to the winds. And so, quite often, are courtesy and manners and respect for your own family.

The biggest task of any caregiver? Letting things go. If she needs to have her way – whether it’s eating, bathing, etc. – as long as it’s not harmful to her, let her have it! If she wants ice cream for her “healthy” snack, don’t argue.

When a potential confrontation looms, take a step back. Ask yourself if this confrontation is really necessary. You’re only going to win just so many battles…so choose them wisely.

Don’t keep score. You can always try again later…and you may be surprised at the result.

When you’re a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it often seems as if the slightest little request or activity can turn into a major deal.

We can help. At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we specialize in guiding families through the Dementia Journey. And we’ve got one of the largest Alzheimer’s/Dementia resource centers in South Florida.

Over the past 33 years, we’ve walked thousands of South Florida families through the Alzheimer’s/Dementia Journey. And we’ve helped them prepare for it, as well, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.

We know every step of the Alzheimer’s/Dementia Journey – and we can walk you through it. And we’re only a phone call away.  

How The Elder Care Umbrella Can Protect YOU!

At the Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we get asked every day about estate planning, long-term-care planning, veteran's benefits, Medicaid (and the difference between Medicaid and Medicare!), protecting assets, protecting your home, wills, trusts, powers of attorney...the list is endless. So we've decided to bring the answers to you! This is the first of our "60 Blogs in 60 Days!"

So - to get back to our title - How can the Elder Care Umbrella protect you? (And what the heck is an "Elder Care Umbrella," anyway?)

The Elder Care Law Umbrella focuses on protecting the legal needs (and rights!) of seniors - and their families, as well. An effective umbrella has a number of different components - because it has to be comprehensive enough to protect you against any eventuality. To thoroughly protect you, it should address these eventualities - before they become realities.

• Estate Planning & Wills
• Minimizing Estate Taxes
• Wealth & Legacy Preservation/Asset Preservation/Asset Protection Planning
• Long Term Care/Life Care Planning
• Medicaid or Veteran's Benefits to which you may be entitled
• Assisted Living and Nursing Home Care Placement & Assistance
• Possible incapacity: Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia Planning. And -very important - caregivers' support
• Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care Surrogate
• Probate, Trusts, Special Needs Trusts (for example, for handicapped children)
• Hospice
• Estate Planning for Unmarried Partners and Same-Sex Couples/LGBT
• Pre-Crisis Planning and Crisis Planning

In our practice, we sometimes come across people who haven't effectively protected themselves. And they've paid dearly...in some cases, with their life savings and their homes.

Two of every five Americans over 65 will enter a Nursing Home. In 7 out of 10 couples, at least one spouse will need Long Term Care. And nearly 80% of us, believe it or not, now live in "non traditional families" (second marriages, same-sex couples, etc.), which calls for special planning and protecting.

We've been practicing Elder Law - and providing our South Florida clients with effective Elder Law Umbrellas - for 33 years. We know every inch of the "Elder Care Journey." We'll show you the way. And we'll fight for what's yours. With professionalism, with concern, and with understanding.

We're only a phone call away!

The Need for Proper Estate and Long-Term Care Planning....Again!

Fluent in Elder Law?

Today you're going to learn how to select someone who's fluent in elder law.  Why is this important for you? An Elder Law attorney concentrates their practice in the area of estate and longevity planning, Medicaid, special needs trusts, and VA benefits for the over 65. Anyone nearing or over that age should know what steps they may need to take to get the right documents in place so that their plans for their finances and their family can be realized.

I recently looked at a bar association listing of attorneys who identify themselves as elder law attorneys. Frankly, I was a little surprised to see that some individuals who are really general practitioners also consider themselves to be elder law attorneys. I was a little disturbed when I saw this, because drafting simple wills and trusts does not qualify an attorney to be an elder law attorney. Wills and trusts may be part of the elder law process at times - but there is so much more involved than that!

Really, wills are what I call "death planning" - they really only control what happens after you die. Today's seniors need an estate and longevity plan - this will help their families know what their wishes are in the event that they become incapacitated before they die. If you are married, then it's highly probable that one of the two of you will spend a substantial amount of time in a nursing home before you die.

Will the real elder law attorney please stand up?

When trying to find an elder law-focused attorney, it's important to understand how elder law differs from traditional estate planning (death planning). A traditional estate plan is typically designed to do three things:

1. Minimize estate taxes
2. Avoid probate court
3. Distribute assets from the deceased person to his or her heirs.

Elder law, on the other hand, is death planning plus long-term disability and care planning - what I call "longevity planning." The elder law attorney is not only dealing with your estate plan, but must also think ahead for life care issues in the event that you or your spouse has long term health care needs during your lifetime.

These days, it is quite common to see families spend several hundreds of thousands of dollars when both a husband and wife have long term care needs. The key focus of an elder law attorney is to help the family to try to protect their assets during their lifetime, to avoid such a catastrophic loss.

No one wants to be out of money and out of options before they are out of breath. While it's not possible to guarantee specific results, the elder law attorney works with clients and families to guide them through the minefield of public benefits, veteran's benefits, Medicare, Social Security, special needs trusts, powers of attorney, and Medicaid. Our job is to increase the quality of life of our clients, not just to figure out who-gets-what after you pass away.

So if you are trying to figure out who is the real elder law attorney, please ask these questions:

- How many Medicaid applications does your firm do in a year?

- How many veterans does your firm assist with the VA aid and attendance benefits per year?

- How many elder law oriented estate plans has your firm done this year?

If you are looking for an elder law attorney to do any of these things, please use an attorney who can demonstrate that he or she is working in that area every day. The issues are complex, and you deserve to work with someone who is fluent in elder law.

Talk to you soon!

PARKINSON'S AND ME

Just a few weeks ago, I found out that a dear loved one, who is in her 60s, has Parkinson’s Disease. So it is not without irony that I was reminded April was Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

For many years, I have had the distinct privilege of educating Parkinson’s patients and their families on the need to plan and protect against the financial and social devastations of the disease. 

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder. Symptoms differ greatly from person to person, so much so that there's no predicting for sure which a patient will experience or how quickly. No cure exists yet, but medications can give a patient substantial symptom relief and a good quality of life for many years, sometimes a decade or more. When drugs aren't enough, brain surgery may be an option.

Parkinson's disease gradually impairs the ability to move, walk, talk, and swallow. It typically develops when patients are in their 50s or 60s, but in roughly 8 percent of cases it strikes before age 40.

For some people, the condition can be severely debilitating in the long term; others are able to function relatively well even after 25 years of living with the disease.

Parkinson’s stems from gradual destruction of certain nerve cells that produce a key chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine helps relay messages within the brain, in the centers that orchestrate muscle movements of the body, to ensure smooth, coordinated motions. Without that signal, muscles can't respond properly.

Some early symptoms of Parkinson’s include:

• Shakiness, from a tremor in a hand, arm, or leg to the jaw or face when the patient isn't actively moving.
• Stiffness or rigidity of the arms, legs, and torso.
• Slowness of movements.
• Small, cramped handwriting.
• A stooped posture.
• Less arm-swinging than before while walking.
• A blank, "masklike" facial expression, also called a “flat affect”.

WARNING:  Parkinson’s Disease is often misdiagnosed, so believe up to 20% of the time.

As a progressive disease, it is imperative that families prepare for the inevitable incapacities that may come with the disease. The following links provide more details:

- http://www.caring.com/articles/parkinsons-motor-symptoms#ixzz1JABRiP00

- http://www.caring.com/articles/what-is-parkinsons?utm_medium=email&utm_source=suggests&utm_campaign=park&utm_content=20110405)

To learn more about this and other topics, as well as the Elder Care services that we provide under

“The Elder Law Umbrella”, call The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld and Associates
at 954.726.6602 or visit www.florida-elderlaw.com

And additional links that offer other useful information FREE, brought to you by The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld and Associates:
http://www.southfloridamemorylawyer.com/
www.medicaidcrisislawyers.com/reiterfeld

www.learnvabenefits.com/reiterfeld

www.estateandlonglifeplan.com/reiterfeld

A Very Uncivil War

April 12^th marks the 150^th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. I’ve been a student of the civil war since I got hooked on “Gone With the Wind” at age 13.  

Did you know that this war is often called the second American Revolution and that it changed our government from “these United States” to “the United States?

At the 100^th anniversary, our country was in the middle of a civil rights crisis.  Now, 50 years later, we can perhaps for the first time, look again at the Civil War through mature eyes, and what we were taught in grade school about what this war was really all about.

You may be asking, “What does this have to do with Elder Law?”  The answer is nothing!  I just wanted to share a side of myself that you may not have known about.  

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, since there are not too many people in my life who want to discuss the Civil War!

P.S.  OK, I can’t resist….When it comes to planning for long term care needs and estate planning DO NOT adopt Scarlett O’Hara’s mantra, “I won’t think about this today, I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

“Until you’ve walked a mile in someone’s shoes” is the first thing that comes to mind.

By: Gloria A. Ego, PG, C.S.A., Family Services Coordinator

I have been hospitalized two times since September.  Nothing life-threatening thank goodness and I seem to be on the mend and counting my blessings daily.

During each hospital stay, there was the obvious frustration of simply being sick, in the hospital and not knowing what was wrong.  For me personally even greater than the physical issues, was the angst of millions of thoughts going through my mind: What did that doctor just say to me?? (as he sprinted in and out of the room as if he had a bus to catch). 

I am in extreme distress and it was hard to process what he was telling me about my situation.  I have to call my daughter to bring me my clothing and take care of the dog.  Will her employer be ok with her having to leave work?? (My 24 year old daughter does not live with me and has demands and responsibilities of her own).

What if this illness is serious??  What if they cannot find out what is causing this problem??  What am I going to do about my job?  Will I be able to work?  I live alone - how am I going to care for myself until my health improves??  WILL my health improve??  The conversations in my head and real fear in my spirit went on and on.

Many of us are professionals who are committed to the care and quality of life for our frail and elderly and we have all likely done the “senior sensitivity training” which is invaluable to better understand the challenges of aging.  What I was not prepared for were the real-life challenges and responses from others as a result of those challenges which I had to face.  For the first time I really noticed the impatience as I drove a little slower or had difficulty navigating through a grocery store with a cane.

I was also very aware of being dependent on those around me for even the simplest things and also my self-imposed but very real shame and humiliation for having to ask for assistance with those tasks, feeling like a child at times.  After all, in my private and professional life, I was the one providing the assistance and not the one needing it.

There is now a new and special level of support I can provide our clients because I feel I truly have walked a mile in their shoes.

To learn more about the Elder Care services that we provide under the Elder Law Umbrella,

call The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld and Associates at 954.726.6602 or visit www.florida-elderlaw.com

And additional links that offer other useful information FREE, brought to you by
The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld and Associates:
http://www.southfloridamemorylawyer.com/

www.medicaidcrisislawyers.com/reiterfeld

www.learnvabenefits.com/reiterfeld

www.estateandlonglifeplan.com/reiterfeld