Should you write your own will or hire a lawyer?
If you don’t yet have a last will and testament, you might be wondering if you really need to hire...
Senior care advice
A rock and a hard place: A family caregiver’s account of her mother’s final months
Caught between my dying mother and my teenaged son, I felt as if I couldn’t do anything right. Or could...
5 top online, low-cost will services for estate planning
According to a recent Gallup poll, 56% of Americans do not have a will. Dying without a will means that state laws will...
Why more people are using advance directives for people with dementia
Financial planners, family-law attorneys, and medical professionals have long urged people to write advance directives—legal statements that stipulate what sort of...
Staying in my lane: Caring for the caregiver
I first learned about what I call the lanes of parental caregiving when I was 35. That’s when my mother...
How to choose the right wheelchair for your senior loved one
Finding the right wheelchair for someone can be a daunting task, as it depends on a variety of factors ranging...
Why I hired a comedian to visit my mother with Alzheimer’s
The most harrowing plane ride I’ve ever had was a trip from the East coast to the West coast last...
What is a trust—and why they’re not just for the super wealthy
You might think trust funds are reserved for the super-wealthy, but in reality a trust can be a smart estate-planning...
Trust vs. will: Which is better for you?
Determining if you need a trust or a will can get confusing, because on the surface both appear to do...
How to make a living will
A living will is a straightforward, easy-to-complete document that allows you to specify what should happen in the event that you’re...
Checklist: Everything you need to do after someone dies
After a loved one dies, it can be hard to think of anything beyond your immediate sadness and grief. But...
Life insurance: What are the types + how to buy it
Don’t have life insurance? You’re not alone. Over 100 million Americans don’t have a policy, according to Life Happens, a...
How to spend down your assets to qualify for Medicaid
Many aging adults need help with daily personal tasks—things like bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, or taking medications. Medicare doesn’t...
What’s the difference between delirium and dementia?
When interning at a nursing home, I encountered a patient who was complaining that her medication was causing hallucinations. But...
Hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia in people with Alzheimer’s and dementia
People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia can be beset by hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. Sometimes, these distortions can be directly caused by changes...
When does your loved one need a guardian or conservator?
Choosing to become a loved one’s guardian or conservator is a serious matter that requires court approval. This role requires...
4 ways to avoid probate
It is a truth universally acknowledged that probate is a major pain. It requires that an executor or other representative appear in...
What is an executor and what do they do?
Naming an executor is one of the most important elements of a last will and testament. After all, an executor...
Should you set up a testamentary trust? What you need to know
The two most common types of trusts are revocable living trusts and irrevocable living trusts. But those are hardly your...
Should you consider an irrevocable trust?
The word irrevocable evokes permanent, set-in-stone arrangements. And that’s exactly what it means in describing this type of trust. Once...
Digital estate plans: Why you need it and how to create yours
You already know an estate plan can make it easier to transfer your financial assets and physical property after death....
Do you need a health care proxy if you’re married?
A health care proxy, also known as a durable power of attorney for health care or a medical power of attorney, is...
Best online end-of-life planning and document services
The multitude of documents required to create an end-of-life plan can feel overwhelming. For health care, there are medical directives...
The 6 steps of probating an estate
After a person dies, it can be difficult to know what is to be done with the property and possessions...
How to select the right insurance advisor
When it comes to buying insurance, these days many of us turn to the Internet first. Nearly three-quarters of consumers in the...
Financial caregiving: 10 essential tips
Your parents took care of you, and at some point, there’s a very good chance you’ll do the same for...
I spent 30 years advising families on senior care — and I still wasn’t ready to take care of my mom
“I’m sorry for keeping my phone on,” I said as I introduced myself at a recent conference. I was excited...
How to juggle parent and kid care in the summer months
Navigating life in the sandwich generation is tough enough during the cooler fall, winter and spring seasons, but the challenge...
How to be a strong advocate for your elderly parents
It was close to midnight. I was worried, tired and cold. Why are emergency rooms always so cold? A few...
Caregiver tips for dressing and grooming someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia
Everyday activities such as dressing and personal grooming can be difficult for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia and their caregivers. People with Alzheimer’s or...
What is the lifetime cost of caring for a person with Alzheimer’s?
Dementia takes an enormous emotional toll on the people with the disease and their caregivers, but it can also be...
How to Care for Ourselves Too
Excerpt from Jody Gastfriend’s “My Parent’s Keeper: The Guilt, Grief, Guesswork and Unexpected Gifts of Caregiving” As caregivers, we may...
Good, Bad and Nonexistent Siblings
When you’re overwhelmed and overburdened, it’s easy to feel that your siblings are standing on the sideline taking potshots. Those...
The Art of Connection: Caring for a Loved One with Dementia
By Jody Gastfriend In the fall of 2015, I had the opportunity to participate in an event sponsored by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s,...
How to Care for Ourselves Too
By Jody Gastfriend As caregivers, we may ignore advice to take care of ourselves, but we do so at our...
Making Work Work
By Jody Gastfriend Sometimes when it comes to work/life balance I feel like I missed the boat. Yes, I somehow...
The Care Maze
by Jody Gastfriend Back in the mid-1990s, when I ran a home health care agency, it was the visiting nurse...
Managing Stress in the Workplace
We all encounter some form of stress every day–commuting to work, difficult bosses, caring for our children and parents and...
Advocacy in Healthcare Settings
While you hope to never receive the dreaded call that mom has fallen or dad had a stroke, many families...
Important Resources for Family Caregivers
As family caregivers, we are often confronted with a confusing array of choices. How can you sort out the various...