Archive for the ‘Power of Attorney’ Category

Three Tips for Caregiving From Afar

Tuesday, June 30th, 2020

When distance comes between you and an aging parent or another loved one who needs extra help, it can be especially tough to become their caregiver. A caregiver who lives an hour or more away from their parent or loved one is considered a long-distance caregiver. Although this arrangement presents many difficulties, it can also be effective and beneficial for everyone involved with a few special considerations.

New rules enacted to stop the spread of COVID-19 have made some local caregivers into, effectively, long-distance caregivers too. Social distancing and quarantine efforts kept some caregivers away for safety’s sake and shut nursing homes, hospitals and other care facilities down to outside visitors. In these cases, tips for long-distance caregivers might be useful too.

Stay Informed

Staying organized and informed is really important when you are not there in person. This cuts down on unnecessary stress and confusion and makes talking to multiple medical professionals or other caregivers easier. Keep a list of all of your loved one’s medical conditions, medications, doctors, appointments and anything else that is relevant to their care. Be sure to update this list often and to research anything with which you are unfamiliar. Take detailed notes during appointments and phone calls with other care providers.

You will need to prepare a few legal documents in order for medical staff to share information about your loved one with you. A HIPPAA Authorization form provides written consent for this. You may also want to have a medical power of attorney document prepared so you would be able to make decisions for your loved one in the event that they are unable to do so for themselves.

Collaborate With Others

Especially when there are multiple people involved in caregiving, complicated medical needs and other family members who are concerned about how your loved one is doing, sharing information and communicating often is key. Make copies of your lists and notes about your loved one’s health for other family members and caregivers or start a shared online document that can be edited as needed. Becoming the sole recorder and keeper of this information creates unnecessary stress and even resentment so, if possible, share the effort.

It is important to stay in touch with your loved one’s doctors and other professionals. Conference calls or meetings involving members of the care team, caregivers and family members streamlines the information sharing process.

Connect With Your Loved One

Being a long-distance caregiver usually means that visits cannot occur as often as you would like. Planning can keep visits productive and enjoyable, so you and your loved one can make the best of your time together.

Whether physical distance or new social distancing guidelines are keeping you apart, technology creates new ways to keep in touch and have fun with your loved one. Getting them a phone or tablet — and providing the lessons on how to use it — give a direct line of communication. You can use it to video chat, text, play games together and send pictures, all of which can keep feelings of loneliness away.

The New York estate planning law firm of Littman Krooks, LLP combines extensive legal knowledge and experience with individual attention suited to each clients’ needs. For over 30 years, Littman Krooks attorneys have brought astute, honest counsel and strong, thorough representation to every client they have served. Reach Littman Krooks at https://www.littmankrooks.com/.

 

A Message to Our Clients and Our Littman Krooks Family

Friday, March 13th, 2020
Dear Client and Friends, 
At Littman Krooks, the health and safety of our clients and staff is our highest priority. We pride ourselves on exemplary and individualized services to our clients. We are writing to provide you with the steps that we are taking to protect you and our staff against the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID19). We understand the paramount importance of these tasks, as we serve many elderly clients and families with children with health concerns.
Steps We are Taking To Protect You and Our Staff:
  • We are maintaining social distancing, which means that we will not be shaking hands, hugging or touching anyone.
  • Hand sanitizer is available in our reception area and we are asking you to apply a generous amount to both of your hands upon entry to our office.
  • Staff know to wash their hands each time they enter our building before touching anything and frequently throughout the day.
  • We have remote access for employees who are ill or need to work from home.
  • If you or someone you have been in contact with is experiencing symptoms of coughing, high fever and/or shortness of breath, we ask that you not come to our office.
  • If you do not feel comfortable visiting our office in person, because you may be sick or for any other reason, please consider meeting with us virtually either via conference call or through FaceTime or similar service. Call our office at (914) 684-2100 to let us know that you would like to change your meeting to a virtual one. Our staff will be happy to assist.
Protect Yourself and Those Around You: We encourage all to follow basic hygiene measures that protect us from respiratory viruses. As the Center For Disease Control recommends, these actions include:
  • Washing your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
  • Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
  • Staying at home if you are feeling sick, especially if you have a fever, are coughing and/or have shortness of breath. If you have those symptoms, please seek medical care early.
  • Covering your mouth and nose with the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze and, if using a tissue, dispose of it immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based sanitizer or soap and water.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces by using disinfectant spray or wipes.
Extra Protections for Those at Higher Risk: If you are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, meaning if you are older or have a health condition, you should:
  • Stock up on supplies.
  • Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
  • When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
  • Avoid crowds as much as possible.
  • Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
  • During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.
We thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we navigate this challenging time. We understand that the situation is evolving and we will continue to actively monitor it and take the necessary precautions. Our firm remains dedicated to providing our clients with the highest level of client service in every way possible
For additional information regarding the Coronavirus, here are resources from the CDC and the New York State Department of Health:

Caregivers Need Care Too—How to Help, Effectively

Tuesday, September 24th, 2019

Littman Krooks Elder LawCaring for a loved one is a labor of love, very often with an emphasis on the work. Caregivers bear an incredible weight in making sure that their loved one is getting what they need while their own life is put on hold. Burnout is common. 

 

With good intentions and a little forethought though, a small amount of kindness to a caregiver can go a long way. The key to being an effective helper is to act with the caregiver in mind, to give them what they want, not what you think they need.

 

Get Personal

 

If you know the caregiver and have an idea of their situation and what they enjoy, you can focus on something from which you know they would benefit. For example, if they have always taken pride in their yard but have not been able to find time to take care of it as well as they usually do, ask if you can weed the garden or cut the grass (or hire someone who can). If they have a hobby, help them be able to do that activity by caring for their loved one or by performing other tasks. If you do not know the person well, you can ask someone who does what they would enjoy or offer something that is generally enjoyable or helpful. 

 

Be prepared for them to decline your offer caregivers may not want to burden anyone or feel awkward about accepting help. You may need to offer again later and remind them that you want to help.

 

You may need to be creative in how you facilitate giving them a hand. If they are anxious or unable, to leave the person they care for, then try to figure out how to accommodate that. Otherwise, your offer to help may cause more stress than good.

 

Show Up

 

Forget about asking the caregiver to let you know when/if they need anything. Chances are good that they will either never ask or have no clue how to respond to an open-ended request. Instead, make a specific offer and follow through. 

 

A small break from the endless responsibility of being a caregiver can be very refreshing. Take something off the caregiver’s plate. Pick up some groceries or an indulgent treat and drop it off to them. Sit and listen to them talk. Help with chores. Watch a movie together. There is no need to spend money or obsess over what to do. Simple, thoughtful gestures are often enough and very much appreciated.

 

Learn more about our elder law  estate planning or Medicaid Planning services. Contact us with additional questions.  


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Is Your Estate Plan Up To Date?

Friday, March 22nd, 2019

By: Amy C. O’Hara, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP

In order to ensure your existing estate plan meets your objectives, it is imperative that it be reviewed at least every 3-5 years and updated when needed.  Here are some issues that might necessitate updating your estate plan:

  • You want to avoid probate;
  • You or a beneficiary become disabled or have a long-term illness;
  • Death of a beneficiary;
  • Marriage, divorce or remarriage;
  • Birth or adoption of a child;
  • Death or change of executor, trustee, and/or guardian;
  • A change in the distribution of your estate;
  • A significant increase or decrease in your net worth;
  • Retirement;
  • Expecting to change state of domicile; and
  • Finally, any time you feel uneasy about any of your documents, making changes and/or speaking with your estate planning lawyer to make you feel comfortable with them.

Never make any changes on your current estate planning documents.  Mark-outs, interlineations and other informal changes are of no effect and will not be honored during an illness or after your death.  It is important to meet with an experienced estate planning lawyer to ensure you estate plan is updated properly to protect you and your loved ones.

 

Learn more about our elder law  estate planning or Medicaid Planning services. Contact us with additional questions.  


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Millennials and Estate Planning: You are Not Too Young for That!

Friday, August 25th, 2017

 

For many millennials, estate planning is not a topic that has even crossed their mind, let alone been made a priority. With more immediate concerns such as graduation from school, the start of a career, perhaps looking forward to buying a home and starting a family, the thought of planning for death or incapacity is a non-starter for many. Although people often think of estate planning as a task for later in life, there are aspects of estate planning that prove beneficial regardless of age or perceived net worth. Estate planning can include both planning for during life (“Advance Directives”) and for after death (“Testamentary Planning”), both of which are important for any person.

Advance directives, such as a Health Care Proxy and Power of Attorney will benefit any adult, as accidents and emergencies cannot be predicted, and do not discriminate by age. By having a Health Care Proxy in place, a person can dictate who will make decisions on their behalf in the event they can no longer make them on their own. In addition, a thoughtfully drafted living will can assist the appointed agent in making the choices that a person would want made, including what kind of end-of-life care they would want to be given or withheld. Another document that becomes tremendously important in the event of incapacity is a durable power of attorney, which allows the appointed agent to manage the principal’s finances.

As for Testamentary Planning documents, although many people believe that they do not have sufficient assets to warrant the creation of a Last Will and Testament of Trust, there are many aspects of such documents that are important for people of all socioeconomic situations. For young adults who are not yet married, consideration should be made for aging parents who may be on government benefits like Medicaid now or in the future. Without proper planning any amount of money received as the beneficiary of an estate can jeopardize an aging parent’s government benefits. Additionally, as greater numbers of millennials begin starting their own families, a Will or Trust is essential, not only to ensure that assets are distributed according to their wishes at death, but also to nominate a guardian for your minor children in case of your death.

Even at the exciting a fast pace beginning of life, it is never too early to make plan for the unimaginable and for the benefit of your loved ones.

 

Learn more about elder lawestate planning and special needs planning at https://www.elderlawnewyork.com and  www.littmankrooks.com. Have questions about this article? Contact us.


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Making Decisions on Senior Housing

Tuesday, September 15th, 2015

When an older person needs care and can no longer live with full independence, the senior and his or her family are faced with a number of decisions to make. There is often a range of choices available such as assisted living, in-home care, or a skilled nursing facility, and the task of deciding what is right for the individual senior can seem overwhelming.Littman Krooks Elder Law

The decision may be difficult, but families do not have to face it alone. With Americans age 85 and older the fastest growing age group, millions of Americans are now struggling with this very issue, and there are a number of specialists that are available to assist them.

The exact type of assistance that is required depends on the needs of the individual senior and the family’s situation. Families may need to seek guidance from their family doctor, a financial planner, or an elder care specialist. Crucial assistance can be provided by an elder law attorney, who can provide services such as drafting documents that give power of attorney to a trusted family member so that medical and financial decisions can be made if the senior loses the capacity to make them.

A key factor in making a good decision on senior housing is advance planning. Too often families end up making a decision because of a crisis such as a health issue that has taken a turn for the worse. However, in many cases, the need for care can be predicted and planned for. If the family waits for a crisis to develop, they may not have time to consider all the options.

Ideally, the choice of a housing situation for a senior will come out of a series of family discussions that incorporate the senior’s needs and desires, the available options, and the family’s financial situation. Taking the time to consider the options, and seek expert counsel, can allow a family to craft a unique solution for the individual’s unique needs.

 

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Joni Mitchell and Conservatorship

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015

Beloved singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell was found unconscious in her Los Angeles home on March 31, having suffered a brain aneurysm. After Mitchell spent more than a month in the hospital, her longtime friend Leslie Morris was appointed her conservator to make medical decisions for her while she recovers. As fans wish Mitchell a full recovery, they may also be wondering, “What is a conservator?”

A conservator or adult guardian is appointed by the court to make certain decisions on behalf of an adult who has become unable to make such decisions on his or her own, due to a physical or mental condition, or advanced age. The court may place certain limits on the guardianship or conservatorship. For instance, the court in Los Angeles granted Morris control only over Mitchell’s medical care, in the absence of the 24-hour care she received in the hospital. A court may also grant a conservator or guardian control over a disabled person’s financial affairs or other aspects of his or her life, such as whether the person should reside at home or in a nursing facility.

A conservator or guardian can be essential in protecting the well-being of a person who has become unable to make his or her own decisions. A conservator or guardian can pay bills for the incapacitated person, prevent financial abuse, prevent self-neglect, and advocate for the person’s health.

The court may appoint a conservator or guardian in response to a petition submitted to the court. For example, in New York, a guardianship proceeding is brought under Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law. However, guardianship is considered a drastic remedy, and the court is required to consider less restrictive alternatives, such as home health aides, representative payees and other solutions that may meet the person’s needs without the appointment of a guardian.

In many cases, if a durable power of attorney or health care proxy has been appointed before the person becomes incapacitated, then guardianship proceedings are unlikely to be necessary. This is one reason why people planning their estate should give such appointments careful consideration.

 

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It’s Time to Protect Your Family and Your Future – 2015 National Financial Literacy Month

Tuesday, April 14th, 2015

In support of the 2015 Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Campaign built around National Financial Literacy Month (April) and six month later during National Estate Planning Awareness Week (3rd week in October) the following estate planning article contains a very important message.

Over 50% of our adult population does not have a current or up-to-date estate plan to protect themselves and their family’s assets; that’s half your family, friends, and associates.

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Estate planning is a financial process that can protect you and your family and is a very important component of your overall financial planning. Now is the perfect time to put your estate planning house in order. If you don’t have an up-to-date estate plan and you happen to get hurt or sick and cannot manage your financial affairs, the courts will have to appoint someone to manage them for you. The person they appoint might not be the one you would want to perform those tasks.

Without an estate plan, when you pass away, your affairs will be settled by default through a complex legal system called “probate.” The handling of your financial affairs can turn into a costly and frustrating ordeal for your family and heirs.

The crafting of a good estate plan starts with planning, followed by the proper drafting and signing of appropriate legal documents such as wills, trusts, buy-sell agreements, durable powers of attorney for asset management, and an advanced health-care directive or health-care power of attorney. Having these documents in place saves you and your family a lot of money and time at a very difficult and emotional time. 5-2-Graphic-EPArticle
Your estate planning should also address the coordination of the way you hold title to your various assets, your beneficiary selections, and the possible transfer of certain assets while you are alive.

Regardless of the extent of your net worth, estate planning is important for everyone. Complex strategies may be used by wealthy people to reduce death taxes and costs. Others may only require a simple will and/or trust to pass on property to their heirs and provide for minor children.

Even if a simple will is all you require, an estate plan is an essential part of your financial planning. Everybody will need it someday. The time to address or update your estate plan is now.

For more information on estate and financial planning content, contact
V.Sabuco@TheFinancialAwarenessFoundation.org.

 

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How to Make Health Care Decisions for Someone Else

Friday, January 23rd, 2015

By: Bernard A. Krooks, J.D., CPA, LLM (in taxation), CELA®, AEP® (Distinguished)

Maybe you’ve been named guardian (of the person) for a family member, colleague, or friend. Maybe you’ve been listed as an agent in a health proxy. Maybe you’re a family member with authority to make health care decisions (New York, like a number of other states, permits family members or others to make most health care decisions in at least some cases). How you got there is not the point, at least not for today. Today’s question: how do you go about making decisions for someone else when you have been given the power — and responsibility — to do so?

For centuries the American common law (and its English predecessor) focused on the “best interest” of someone who was no longer able to make their own decisions. It was not until relatively recently that the concept of “substituted judgment” began to seep into legal discussions. Today the latter notion drives health care decision-making in most cases.

But what does that mean? One early description suggested that a person making decisions for someone else should try “to reach the decision that the incapacitated person would make if he or she were able to choose.” That means that the decision-maker should try to substitute the patient’s decision for his or her own, not the other way around. In other words, the guardian/agent/surrogate should first try to figure out what the patient/principal would want in the circumstances.

Let’s simplify some of the language, just to keep things from bogging down in legalisms. Let’s use “principal” for the person signing a health care proxy, or subject to a guardianship, or (however they got there) presently incapable of making decisions. The person making the decision, signing the hospital’s forms, choosing a facility, or whatever — we’ll call him or her the “surrogate”.

So now you’re the surrogate, and you’re trying to figure out what you should consider when making your decisions. Here’s a list (probably not comprehensive) of things you might look to:

Did the principal sign any documents? A living will, for instance, might give some insight into the principal’s wishes. There are plenty of other documents that might be useful, though — from worksheets filled out at a seminar on advance directives to letters to family members to descriptions of other patient’s circumstances.

Did you have any conversations with your principal? Maybe you talked about other patients in the news, and how your principal felt about their stories. Be careful here — we remember one client who adamantly said she didn’t want to “go through what Terri Schiavo did.” It wasn’t until we followed up with the client that we figured out that she meant that she thought it was terrible that the legal system allowed Ms. Schiavo to die. We had assumed that she meant she wouldn’t have wanted to be kept alive, but that was the exact opposite of her meaning.

Did anyone else have conversations with your principal? Ask family, friends, co-workers and others who might have discussed health care issues with the principal while they were still capable of forming a decision.

Ask your principal. Is he or she able to talk at all? Then ask for direction. That doesn’t mean you have to follow whatever a now-demented patient says he or she wants — the principal might simply respond affirmatively to almost every question, making the answer depend on how you ask. But just because you’ve been given responsibility for the decision it does not follow that your principal’s opinion is no longer relevant.

Consider your principal’s life history. Was he or she particularly religious, or irreligious? Do you know what family members would prefer (and whether your principal would be more likely to agree with or oppose the family)? Did other family members or acquaintances go through similar circumstances, and is your principal’s response helpful to you while making this decision?

Talk to the medical team. What seems like a major decision might not seem so significant after you’ve discussed the risks and burdens associated with a given procedure (or decision to forego a procedure).

If you can’t figure out what your principal would want, then you move from applying “substituted judgment” principles to determining the “best interests” of your principal. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to approve treatment.

Weigh the “burdens” of treatment against the benefits. Is a proposed operation painful, dangerous, or uncertain? Or might it alleviate pain, make your principal more comfortable, or increase the odds of recovery?

Strive for consensus. You are supposed to be figuring out what your principal would want, but the input of family, friends and the medical community is worth considering in an attempt to avoid infighting, undercutting and acrimony. Your principal’s care might not be best-served by having a difficult situation made more tense.

As a last resort, consider submitting difficult choices to the courts for resolution. That gives everyone a chance to air their positions in a formal setting, and focuses the questions on the principal’s wishes — and care. But it is time-consuming and expensive, and should not be invoked unless there is real difficulty in making the correct decision.

It is a challenge to make health care decisions for someone else. It is also a terrific gift to the principal to accept the responsibility and discharge it carefully and well. Another day we’ll write about how you can make that job easier when you’re the principal rather than the surrogate. In the meantime, take the surrogate’s job seriously, and do your best to substitute your principal’s decisions for those you might make for yourself.

 

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Sharing Caregiving Responsibilities Among Siblings

Thursday, November 14th, 2013

Caring for an elderly parent in declining health is a big responsibility, and one that can have a significant effect on the caregiver’s financial and emotional well-being. Having a sibling to share in that responsibility can make things easier, but it can also lead to conflict and resentment. It is important to understand the issues that may arise when two or more adult siblings are caring for an elderly parent, and the best ways to resolve problems.

One question that usually comes up at the outset is who will be the primary caregiver. If only one sibling lives close to the parent who needs care, that is often the deciding factor. When two or more siblings live close by, then the decision often depends on work schedules. If none of the siblings live close to the parent or have time available, then the question becomes how to divide the expense of hiring an in-home health aide or perhaps an assisted living facility, depending on the circumstances.

Good communication is probably the most important factor in making these decisions. Ideally, responsibilities will be divided in whatever way feels fair to everyone involved, and arriving at the best outcome depends on communication. Siblings should be encouraged to share exactly what they feel they should contribute and why. Factors such as an individual’s family income or work schedule are legitimate concerns that may play into decision-making. Feelings about this should be stated plainly so that later resentments can be avoided. Siblings should try their best not to let old sibling rivalries get in the way. Adult siblings caring for an elderly parent are taking on new roles, and they are best served by not replaying old ones.

In addition to family income and work schedules, siblings should consider each other’s particular skills. If one sibling is a more frugal money manager, it may make sense for him or her to hold the power of attorney for the parent. Someone with experience as a caregiver may do the best job handling day-to-day care. One fact that should not be forgotten is that caregiving is valuable and important work. Siblings who are not involved with day-to-day care may not be aware of just how much work is involved. The caregiving sibling should not be afraid to speak up and share with the others how much time goes into giving care for their parent. It can be easy for a sibling that is contributing more time or contributing more money to feel that his or her contribution is unfair or is going unrecognized. Full and frank discussion is the best solution.

Finally, as with most things, careful planning will save a lot of headaches. Just as mom or dad’s schedule of doctor’s appointments and daily medications needs to be kept track of, so should the finances be kept in careful order. An estate planning attorney or financial adviser can be invaluable in preparing a budget that accounts for the cost of different types of care that may be needed.