Question: My mother is ill and requires long-term care, but hopes to return to her own home one day. My sister, who lives with my mother, is trying to put her name on my mother’s house to protect herself if something happens to my mother that forces her into the Medicaid system. Is this the…
A power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents you can create, but it is also one that can be misused. While it isn’t possible to entirely prevent the possibility of abuse, there are steps you can take in drafting the document to greatly reduce the chances. A power of attorney…
Question: I understand that it is a good idea to execute a new power of attorney document if an individual moves to a new state. But what if the person who signed the original POA is mentally incapacitated when the move takes place? Then what do you do? Answer: You will have to use the…
Question: My mother is 81 and was diagnosed with mild dementia. She has named my brother and me as co-agents under a durable power of attorney. I will be the one to move in with my mom as her dementia gets worse and will make all the arrangements for any type of care. I think…
Low-income seniors and people with disabilities may be missing out on a tax credit that could reduce their tax liability by up to $7,500 this tax season. To qualify for the Senior Tax Credit for the Elderly and Disabled, individuals must either be above age 65 or retired early due to a qualifying disability and have taxable disability…
The Colorado House of Representatives voted unanimously February 7, 2019, in support of a bill to add autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a qualifying condition for families seeking medical marijuana licenses. The full Colorado legislature approved a similar bill last year, but then-governor John Hickenlooper vetoed it. If the new measure passes, the state’s new governor Jared Polis is…
How much responsibility do employers have to reasonably accommodate people with disabilities when it changes the employees’ underlying job description? That question is central to the latest employment controversy surrounding America’s largest retailer, Walmart. For years, a ubiquitous feature at Walmart stores has been its front-door greeters, employees whose job is to offer a warm…
Paying for day care is one of the biggest expenses faced by working adults with young children, a child with a disability or a dependent parent, but there is a tax credit available to help working caregivers defray the costs of day care. In order to qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit, you…
Taking care of a parent can be a full-time job. Children may have to give up paying jobs in order to provide care to aging parents. Unfortunately, caregiving is usually unpaid work. Parents who want to compensate a child who takes on the burden of caregiving may do so in one of several ways. Caregiver…
The number of older Americans with student loan debt – either theirs or someone else’s — is growing. Sadly, learning how to deal with this debt is now a fact of life for many seniors heading into retirement. According to a study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the number of older borrowers increased by at least 20 percent…
