Elder Care and Special Needs Law Blog

For at least the last eleven weeks, nursing home residents have been separated from their families. Some family members have gotten creative – visiting through windows, on ladders, via Zoom, and from parking lots. But many have had no way to reach their loved ones except by relying on staff to give them updates.» Read More

The law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., is pleased to present the Special Needs Spotlight Webinar Series. In this introductory session, “Taking Control – Harnessing Anxiety and Turning it Into a Plan,” Shana Siegel, a Member of the firm and Chair of its Elder Care & Special Needs Law Practice Group, spoke with Trish Colucci Barbosa, RN and Care Manager at Peace Aging Care Experts, LLC, and Elizabeth McKenna, CFP and Chartered Special Needs Consultant at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.» Read More

For years, elder law attorneys have warned clients about a troubling, curious quirk in the Medicare system. Many times, when older patients are hospitalized, instead of being officially admitted, they are placed on “observation status,” which was originally meant as a temporary designation for individuals who were receiving medical care and tests in a hospital setting until they were released, or a diagnosis was made and they were officially admitted.» Read More

In our office, we think a lot about solo seniors – older adults who live alone and have no immediate family. Right now, we are working on an unfortunate case where multiple bad actors took advantage of a vulnerable woman, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars.» Read More

Every parent of a child with special needs worries about what will happen if (or when) they predecease their child. But a story I read last weekend sent chills up my spine. It was about a mother in Bergen County who died from the coronavirus, leaving her 30-year-old son with Down syndrome.» Read More

One of the hardest things for us to talk about is planning for end-of-life care. This includes appointing fiduciary roles to make decisions concerning health care and expressing wishes regarding life-prolonging measures and treatment. Unfortunately, most people wait too long before consulting an elder law attorney about estate planning and health care documents, which may be costly.» Read More

As part of the COVID-19 relief packages provided by the federal government, qualified United States citizens and resident aliens will be receiving an “Economic Impact Payment,” also being referred to as the “Stimulus Check.”

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New Jersey Governor Murphy has just made it easier to complete your estate planning during this coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many law firms, like ours, are offering Zoom meetings and phone consultations to comply with the social distancing measures. We email and mail documents to our clients.» Read More

My symptoms for the suspected COVID-19 illness began three weeks ago with a fever, fatigue, nausea, and a loss of my sense of smell and taste. While I was one of the extremely fortunate patients who ultimately did not struggle with shortness of breath, the fear that I could become short of breath at any moment was real and the anxiety almost crippling at times.» Read More

Did you know that 92% of Americans believe it is important to discuss their end-of-life wishes with their loved ones? Yet, how many have done so? Only 32%.

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