According to www.thefamilycaregiver.org, more than 65 million Americans provide care for an ill, disabled or aged family member or friend. They spend more than 20 hours per week dedicating themselves to their loved ones. Click on the link below to read 10 Helpful Tips for Family Caregivers.
http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org/pdfs/10_tips.pdf
After losing her mother and grandmother to Alzheimer’s, Leeza Gibson of Dancing with Stars and Entertainment Tonight, was inspired to take on a new role. As the AARP’s new Ambassador for Care, she plans on helping others cope with caring for their sick loved ones. Leeza realized through taking care of her mother that care giving is one of the most difficult roles she has ever had to take on. It is physically, emotionally, and financially draining on those who are trying to make sure their sick loved one’s needs are being met. She states in her interview with USA Today, “Caregiver’s are the super heroes of our time”.
AARP is a nonprofit organization that “helps people age 50 and over have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them”. AARP is an amazing resource for those who are caring for an ill loved one. On their care giving channel, they list many local and state resources and also give access to experts and articles.
Leeza has been a media personality for more than 25 years, as television news anchor, radio show host, producer and businesswoman. Leeza is determined to help those who are facing and will face this difficult issue. Most people are not prepared or have the knowledge to take on the car giving position. They find themselves feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and helpless. Her new nonprofit organization is called Leeza’s Place and she offers many free resources for family caregivers at www.aarp.org/leeza. To read her complete interview, please go to http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/medical/alzheimers/2010-12-08-leeza07_ST_N.htm
The Legacy Center of Louisiana, LLC, whose main office is in Prairieville, is excited to announce the opening of a second location. The new location is located at 412 North 4th Street, Suite 326, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. It allows the firm to greatly expand the services offered to their clients in the Greater Baton Rouge area.
The Legacy Center of Louisiana, LLC is a life care planning law firm, owned by Linda S. Melancon, Attorney at Law, that provides legal services in Louisiana in the areas of estate planning, elder law, special needs planning and probate/ estate administration. Its mission is to help Louisiana families leave a lasting legacy through proper planning.
For more information on the services provided by The Legacy Center of Louisiana, LLC, please contact us at 225-744-0027 or visit our website at www.legacycenterla.com
The unexpected death of pop star, Whitney Houston, was a shock to many people. She was legend to those who have listened and loved her music for decades. During this sad time, it is a reminder that people should always be prepared for the unexpected. A source states that Whitney Houston, who died at age 48, had a will that left her only daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, as the main beneficiary who is alarmingly only 18 years old. According to an Investment News article, it is too early for anyone to know what kind of shape her estate was in when she died.
Any person should review and update their estate planning documents every three to five years to make sure everything is in place especially in events such as birth of a new child, divorce, remarriage, or new business or real estate. Many celebrities and high-net-worth clients postpone estate planning because it can be extremely complex and time consuming. According to the article, Sonny Bono, John Denver, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Marley all died without completing a will.
There are circulating rumors that the six-time Grammy winner was broke. Whether true or false, her estate is still expected to gain an enormous boost in song sales since her death and the sale of her $1.75 million dollar mansion.
It is very important for individuals to have the proper documents to determine the manner in which they want their estate to be distributed. Not only does this give the person a “peace of mind”, but will save their loved ones many hours of frustration and grief.
If you have any questions about estate planning, please contact the Legacy Center of Louisiana at 225-744-0027 or visit our website at www.legacycenterla.com
According to a Wall Street Journal Health blog, research proves that advance communication of one’s wishes about end-of-life decisions to loved ones can greatly relieve stress on families placed in the position of having to make these intricate choices. Yet, most individuals lack some type of legal document naming a decision maker in case of incompetency. People procrastinate in completing these documents because they are usually very difficult to understand and can be very expensive. Additionally they lack flexibility to accommodate the patient’s values and preferences, such as religious views.
The U.S. system of medical ethics emphasizes the independence of patient decisions. Their decisions are only questioned if their judgment is impaired by medical or psychiatric illness. Any competent individual may refuse any type of medical treatment if desired due to their constitutional rights to privacy and liberty. In Louisiana, the law recognizes the right of a person to refuse medical care and to declare that in advance of a circumstance when the person may not be able to make or communicate that decision himself. The directive or “living will” instructs your physician regarding the circumstances in which you want to have life-sustaining procedures withheld or withdrawn.
Religion also plays a strong role in end-of-life decisions and many people want their religious views to be respected when they aren’t able to make decisions on their own. Within each faith, there may be a vast variety of beliefs that should be considered when directives are being used.
Some important issues that tend to have a religious standpoint include the following:
• Withholding of nutrition and hydration
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Comfort care and pain control
• Assisted suicide
• Intervention when a women is pregnant ( i.e. whether life of mother or child is given preference
• Last rites
• Organ donation
• Handling of body after death
• Disposition of remains ( i.e. cremation or burial)
It is important for a client to consider all of these issues so their values and beliefs are sustained when end-of-life decisions have to be made. Ideally, these issues need to be discussed with an attorney so important religious values can be incorporated into their living will. This is especially important when a client is a different faith from those carrying out his or her wishes, such as their attorney, family, or physician.
For more information on living wills, please contact us at 225-744-0027 or toll free at 1-855-88LegacyLA. The Legacy Center of Louisiana is a life caring law firm that provides legal services in the areas of estate planning, elder law, special needs planning and probate in the greater Baton Rouge area and throughout Louisiana. Also visit our website at www.legacycenterla.com.
Remember when your parents were lecturing you on the rules for taking the car for a spin? Dad would put his face in front of yours and say, “Are you listening?” Of course you would say “sure” even though your mind was miles away on the adventure to come.
Today, as adults, the children who received the counsel and wisdom of their parents are facing a reverse situation in their lives. They are finding themselves concerned about their aging parents and what their needs will be as their health and mental abilities fail them. In some cases the children must take the role as parent in securing the safety and well being of an elderly family member.
Julie lives 600 miles from her mother. Knowing her mother’s health is frail and she lives alone, Julie calls her every evening after work. The conversation always goes like this;
“How are you doing today Mom, Julie asks?
“Everything’s fine”, Mother replies.
“Are you taking your pills?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.”
“Do you need anything?”
“Everything’s fine.”
Julie does not get much more conversation from her mother. Perhaps everything is fine, or perhaps Julie’s mother just wants Julie to think she can take care of herself. Even worse, mother could think all is fine and be forgetting her medication and not eating properly.
Is Julie really listening? ARE YOU LISTENING?
It may be time to put your face in front of your parent and listen.
Assuming that all is well and that your elderly family member knows and does what is best for them, may be putting them at risk.
Become a partner with them in their care. The best time to form the partnership is before a crisis happens.
Donna Schempp, a licensed clinical social worker and program director at the Family Caregiver Alliance, states that in talking to your parents, “The sooner, the better.” If you bring up the subject before your parents need any extra support, “then it’s not crisis driven,” she explains. “It’s not a way of saying, ‘Mom, Dad, there’s something wrong with you.”
A good way to begin is to sit with your parents and ask questions like, what are your concerns for the future. Do you want to remain in your home? Are you worried about losing your independence? Listen to their answers. You might relate your concerns as well, or you desire to be of help.
In becoming a partner in planning for care and helping your loved one, you need to know what legal and financial arrangements are in place. By asking, “What if you had a stroke, Mom, I would need to know where your medical and insurance documents are and what you would have me do in your behalf.”
The next step might be to accompany them to their doctor’s appointment so to understand what their medical needs are and help create a plan for future needs.
The National Care Planning Council’s book “The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning” gives the following list of most common services family care givers will provide for their parents.
• Walking, lifting, and bathing
• Using the bathroom and with incontinence
• Providing pain management
• Preventing unsafe behavior and preventing wandering
• Providing comfort and assurance or arranging fpro essional counseling
• Feeding
• Answering the phone
• Making arrangements for therapy, meeting medical needs, and doctors’ appointments
• Providing meals
• Maintaining the household
• Shopping and running errands
• Providing transportation
• Administering medications
• Managing money and paying bills
• Doing the laundry
• Attending to personal hygiene and personal grooming
• Writing letters or notes
• Making repairs to the home, maintaining a yard
There are many resources available to help families in caring for their elder parents. As you become involved you will know when it is time to bring in professional services to help or when the need to find new living arrangements is necessary.
Beginning now to talk, listen and plan together can make the journey more pleasant for everyone involved.
Ms. Melancon has engaged in the practice of law in Louisiana for the past 14 years. The primary focus of her practice is estate planning, special needs planning, elder law and probate. She is also accredited by the VA to give advice regarding veterans’ benefits. For more information, please contact her at 744-0027 or visit her website at www.LegacyCenterLa.com or her facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prairieville-LA/Legacy-Center-of-Louisiana/267942070212.
According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, Tom Barr needed a place to for his mother, Margaret Barr, who suffers from memory loss and dementia. Tom decided Margaret needed more help than her assisted living facility could provide as her symptoms grew worse. He decided to hire an around the clock caretaker, but soon her needs even outstripped that situation. Tom, like many who face this situation, felt helpless. Eventually Tom found a new memory loss facility in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The facility specialized in areas only for those suffering from memory loss. Barr claims the staff was friendly and professional and saved him the agony of finding a place he could trust to properly serve his wife’s needs.
Memory loss and dementia is an issue that many elderly persons will face. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.4 million Americans have some form of dementia. The Association also reported that by 2050, 16 million people will have Alzheimer’s disease. Facilities for just individuals with memory loss are becoming more and more common. Most assisted living communities have added separate memory loss areas to their building so they can give these individuals the special care they require.
Many people can relate to how Tom Barr was feeling. Families want a peace of mind that their loved ones are in settings that accommodate their needs and well-being. Finding the proper care can be a tough and frustrating situation for many individual’s to face.
The Legacy Center of Louisiana is a life caring law firm that provides legal services in the areas of estate planning, elder law, special needs planning and probate. Legacy Center is unique that it not only provides these traditional legal services, but it also has the resources available to help families coordinate Skilled Nursing Center Care, Assisted Living Services, and Home Health Services for their loved ones. For more information about the Legacy Center or Skilled Nursing Care, please call us at 1-885-88-LegacyLA or visit us online at www.legacycenterla.com.
Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs passed the first cost-of-living adjustment since 2008 which has increased VA benefits by 3.6%. The Senate approved the Veteran’s Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011 which became effective on December 1, 2011 for benefits to be payable in January of 2012.
The 2012 Pension Figures are following:
Single Veteran: $1,703
Married Veteran: $2,019
Surviving Spouse of a Veteran: $1,094
Applying for VA benefits can be a challenging process and it is difficult to speculate what you will experience while filing for the Aid & Attendance Pension. Linda S. Melancon, an attorney whose office is located in Prairieville, LA (a suburb of Baton Rouge), practices in the areas of estate planning, special needs planning, elder law, and probate. She is also accredited by the VA to give advice regarding veterans’ benefits. For more information on VA Aid & Attendance Pension, please contact us at 225-744-0027 or visit our website at www.legacycenterla.com.
Today is the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. On December 07, 1941, Japanese forces attacked America’s naval bases in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. America declared war on Japan and we entered into WWII. The attacks on Pearl Harbor will always be a pivotal moment in American history. On this infamous day, we want to thank and honor all of our WWII veterans who bravely fought and died for our freedom.
In 2008, Congress proclaimed the third week in October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. The resolution noted “Many Americans are unaware that lack of estate planning and financial illiteracy may cause their assets to be disposed of to unintended parties by default through the complex process of probate.”
According to a WealthCounsel survey, nearly 70% of the respondents indicated that Americans fail to plan because they lack knowledge of why they should. More than 120 million Americans lose mass amounts of money and go through avoidable hardships because they do not properly plan and protect themselves for the future.
The Legacy Center of Louisiana is dedicated to helping Louisiana families leave a lasting legacy. Linda Melancon received her juris doctorate degree in 1997 from Louisiana State University Law School and has practiced Elder Law since 2006. The Legacy Center of Louisiana focuses on Elder Law, estate planning, estate administration, and probate and successions issues.
Each area of our legal practice is devoted in helping Louisiana families protect their estate. We take pride that we are not a conventional document drafting law firm, because we do our utmost to treat our clients like we want to be treated. We share the concerns and burdens of our Elder Law clients who are caring for a loved one, counsel our estate planning clients in ways to preserve the harmony that is easily lost upon the disability or death of a loved one.
Linda says “Estate planning is for everyone. It is for the young and the old, the healthy and the ill. Estate planning is life planning”. Don’t allow yourself or your family to be caught in a crisis. Visit www.legacycenterla.com or call 225-744-0027 for more information!
