Florida Elder Law Blog - ElderLawAssociates.com

I just read this great article on the bias of medical care providers toward the elderly and aging:

"In many cultures in the world, elderly people are revered and their advice is sought and respected. In our culture, the wisdom, the knowledge and the social skills of the elderly are often overlooked and instead we focus on the mental and physical deficits of our older generation....

"Because of this prevailing attitude, older people in our society are generally regarded as less valuable than younger people....It is inevitable that many medical care providers will unconsciously have this same attitude towards their older patients.

"As a result, if an older person has a medical complaint and the cause is not readily apparent, a medical practitioner is more likely to accept the condition as a consequence of old age. This attitude causes practitioners to focus treatment on making the elderly more comfortable in their old age as opposed to finding a cure. In younger people, if the medical complaint is interfering with normal daily function, typically a more concerted effort will be made to identify and correct the problem."

Click here to read the entire article.

-- Ellen S. Morris, JD

Labels: elder care

I recently published an article on the latest goings on in the area of elder law in the Florida legislature for The Elder Law Advocate, entitled "What happened in the Florida Legislature of interest to us?"

It specifically provides you with a summary of bills of interest to elder law attorneys that are expected to be or have been signed by the governor, including:

• SB 366/HB 233 - Elderly Persons & Disabled Adults/Abuse & Neglect
  
• SM 2662/HM 1045 – Alzheimer’s Disease Research/Federal Funding
  
• SB 1092/HB 7047 – Alzheimer’s Disease/Medicaid Waiver Program
  
• CS/HB 739/SB 688 – Guardian Advocates for Persons With Developmental Disabilities
  
• CS/CS/SB 2012/HB 1431 – Insurance Policies
  

Click here to read "What happened in the Florida Legislature of interest to us?"

-- Ellen S. Morris, JD

Labels: florida elder law

Recently, we received this feedback in an email:

"I had enjoyed and learned much from a seminar of yours that I attended. But I never thought it would lead to your sending me unbelievable amounts of critical, interesting, necessary, enlightening, helpful, meaningful (and I could go on and on) information, articles and notices. The subjects vary from planning your own funeral to getting a Social Security debit card to the best way to choose a nursing home to every conceivable subject one needs in their "senior" living and dying. Thank you and, hopefully, keep them coming."
-Paul Molle, South Florida Financial Services

If you're interested in finding out Elder Law Associates will be speaking next, just give us a ring at 561.750.3850 or email us at info@elderlawassociates.com.

-- Leslie Lautin Davis, Director of Marketing

Labels: Elder Law Attorney

Wealth Counsel, a quarterly magazine for the estate planning community, recently published an article I wrote on the Deficit Reduction Act, entitled "How the DRA Has Affected the Use of Personal Care Contracts."

It specifically details how Medicaid agencies have responded to the upswing in the use of personal care contracts, and what you need to know when preparing a personal care contract for a loved one.

Click here to read "How the DRA Has Affected the Use of Personal Care Contracts."

-- Howard S. Krooks, JD, CELA

Labels: florida elder law, medicaid, personal care contracts