You have worked hard your entire life and have accrued some assets. However, these assets can be at risk if they are not properly protected. There are a number of methods to protect your assets. Therefore, it’s advisable to get expert advice when considering protecting your assets, especially in today’s economy. Here are a few examples of just how you could protect your life’s work: One of the best ways of protecting your assets is by estate planning, through various trusts. Another way to protect your assets is to think about an asset protection plan. There are various provisions in…
As an elder law attorney firm, when we meet with clients during our initial consultation, it is necessary for us to obtain information regarding income and assets. Unfortunately, most clients do not have a clear understanding of their financial situation. Consequently, people with an unclear or incomplete understanding of their finances often fail to budget for expenses properly, and may miss important payments which can affect overall credit scores. The elderly, in particular, may fall prey to various financial “scams.” Therefore, family members need to provide assistance to their relatives to avoid these situations. Family members are often reluctant to…
The traditional model for these facilities is institutional, with facility designs and procedures based on mass efficiency instead of individual concern for the well-being of each resident. At the Elder Law Office of David Wingate we appreciate that this "regimented" lifestyle is feared by many local residents who likely have personal stories of friends or family members who lived unhappily in one of these facilities. Some seniors even “put off” estate planning and asset protection strategies, because thinking about these issues is unpleasant and many would prefer to just avoid the issue altogether. Of course, failure to plan for long-term…
As people continue to live longer, seniors are faced with a range of legal topics that younger people typically do not have to deal with. As an Elder law attorney firm we know how specific areas of the law impact our clients and what people can do to protect themselves as they get older. Let’s take a look at some of the most common areas that elder law attorneys deal with. Health Issues As we get older we are more likely to suffer from certain types of medical issues that can affect our ability to make choices. For example, an…
There is no easy way for a family to deal with a senior grappling with a cognitive mental disease like dementia or Alzheimer's. Like any health problems faced by loved ones, a family's initial reaction is to try to get the senior the help they need. However, at our Elder Law firm we understand that cognitive conditions are tricky, because the injury is not physical and often the senior may not be fully aware that they are even suffering from the problem at all. One elder law advocate recently discussed this challenge in response to a reader question explaining her…
Some mistakenly dismiss elder law as something with which they need not concern themselves until they personally need help getting by each day. However, at the Elder Law office we work with many local residents on these issues decades before they need care themselves. That is because many adult children are forced to deal with these concerns on behalf of their parents–many of whom have serious health concerns that arise quite quickly. With demographic changes leading to a boom in the elderly population, the need to care for aging parents is catching more and more adult children by surprise. According…
A Wall Street Journal article this weekend asked some tough questions about the availability of Medicaid nationwide. At the Elder Law office we realize that many local residents are understandably concerned about the program in our state–it is an essential lifeline for many seniors. The latest WSJ article suggest that some states are making it harder for individuals to receive Medicaid help to pay for long-term care costs–however, the "crack down" on Medicaid expenditures is advancing very differently in certain states. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid now accounts for about 40% of long-term care spending nationwide. The program…
The program, "Family Matters," focuses on financial planning for multigenerational households. At the Elder Law Office we work with many local families in this situation, often with aging parents who move in with adult children when their health deteriorates. One of the first episodes of the program delves directly into elder law issues. The program shares the story of a family that was forced to make many adjustments when a woman's 84-year old father needed a caretaker. The woman explained that the adjustment was not easy. Not only did the job of caretaker not come naturally, but figuring out how…
Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects everybody it touches—husbands, wives, children and grandchildren—they all bear witness to their loved one’s slow demise. Sadly, emotional stress is not the only stress that accompanies Alzheimer’s disease; those loved ones serving as caretakers may carry a huge amount of financial stress as well. The cost of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient can run anywhere from $64 a day to over a $100,000 a year, and because Alzheimer’s disease can be such a long-lasting disease (a person can suffer from Alzheimer’s for up to 20 years) the costs of care can end up being…
David Wingate, Elder Law Attorney of the Elder Law Office of David Wingate presented to social workers, home help agencies and others, a seminar entitled Understanding MOLST.
Frederick, MD 
301-663-9230
