There’s no escaping it: the holiday season is a stressful time for everyone. It’s even more challenging when you factor in a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
How do you celebrate the holidays without making things worse? To answer this question, we consulted Claire Merendino, R.N., an elder care coordinator at Bratton Law Group, a Life Care Planning Law Firm with offices in Philadelphia and New Jersey.
Linda Strohschein’s elder care story is like that of many attorneys who head up Life Care Planning Law Firms. Her first exposure to the elder care world happened at home.
When dementia strikes, you will likely observe many changes with your loved one’s behavior, language, memory, and ability to perform familiar tasks. One of the areas that dementia will impact dramatically is communication. You may notice that your mom or dad struggles to find certain words, doesn’t seem to understand what you say, and can no longer communicate the way they once could.
It’s not unusual for people to find new friends when they move into a nursing home. But what happens when those friendships turn into something more? We posed this question to Pati Bedwell, an elder care coordinator at Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law, a Life Care Planning Law Firm in Hendersonville, Tennessee. A veteran of the senior care industry, Pati has truly seen it all.
What does an elder care coordinator do? To the uninitiated, the role may seem somewhat mysterious. What could possibly keep an elder care coordinator busy all day?
Do you live far away from elderly loved ones? If so, you know how difficult it can be to stay connected when you can't help with caregiving duties. You may feel guilty for not being closer. You may wish you could be there to help. Hopefully, you have siblings or other relatives nearby who can care for your relative, so you can rest easy knowing that their needs are being met.
When you think of a suicide victim, what comes to mind?
Have you heard how challenging it can be to interact with the Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA)? The VA’s reputation may be well-earned, but there are steps you can take to expedite the VA pension application process, according to Chris Johnson, an attorney at Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law, a Life Care Planning Law Firm in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Chris, a Marine Corps veteran who served as an attorney in the U.S. military for nearly a decade before joining Takacs McGinnis, shares four “Pro-Tips” that separate successful claims from those that get stuck in the system.
Attorneys who practice Life Care Planning often have dramatic elder care stories of their own. Miles Hurley, founder of Hurley Elder Care Law, a Life Care Planning Law Firm in Atlanta, Georgia, is no exception. He came to the practice of Life Care Planning in 2005 after providing care for nine different family members.
Any elder law firm that offers Life Care Planning relies on a team of legal and non-legal professionals who work together to support and guide families during an elderly loved one’s long-term care journey. What role do paralegals play in the process?
To answer this question, we consulted Lisa Sparks, a paralegal at Kimbrough Law, a Life Care Planning Law Firm with offices in Athens and Gainesville, Georgia.
