“Microaggressions” and “implicit bias”
Posted: February 23, 2021
Microaggressions” and “implicit bias” are not new words but have come into mainstream verbiage because of the #metoo and #blacklivesmatter movement. The broad definition of both is remarks or actions...
Continue ReadingThe vaccine is here!
Posted: February 3, 2021
The vaccine is here! (Fireworks! Applause! Confetti!) But is it? I applaud Florida for vaccinating the over 65 crowd first but not the manner in which it’s done. How many...
Continue ReadingWow, 2020 is over !
Posted: February 3, 2021
Wow, 2020 is over. Phew! Yet, think about it, 12 years ago we were all ringing our hands at the end of 2008 as the Great Recession a/k/a the Financial...
Continue ReadingGrace and Virtue
Posted: November 3, 2020
We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat....
Continue ReadingTechnology for Caregivers
Posted: September 2, 2020
The Best Tools and Technology for Long-Distance Caregivers Many caregivers live too far away from their loved ones to provide hands-on care. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t take care...
Continue ReadingTHAT AGE OLD STORY OF LOVE & GLORY
Posted: July 8, 2020
I think of some of the “senior” love stories I’ve heard and seen. One favorite is my maternal grandmother and grandfather — Mimi and Dad. Dad died at the relatively...
Continue ReadingResiliency
Posted: July 8, 2020
What more can happen to us?!? Pandemic, police killings, protests, riots . . . take a breath! Why has this happened. All this chaos! ARGH! One answer is hubris. Most...
Continue ReadingGood news and gratitude
Posted: July 8, 2020
Senior Sex Toys was one of the many ideas I had for this week’s column. Aren’t we all tired of Covid 19 and its grizzly counts? No one is counting...
Continue ReadingCelebrate
Posted: April 7, 2020
Did you know that Dr. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, was the Captain of his High School Basketball team and he’s “about” 5’7” tall?...
Continue ReadingFind Good in the Bad
Posted: March 25, 2020
Thank goodness seniors have wisdom, creativity and the confidence to draw upon them in a time of crisis. The bad news is everywhere – either you’re at risk for becoming...
Continue ReadingReflections on being 90, 95 or 100
Posted: February 28, 2020
In Great Britain, when one of her subjects turns 100, Queen Elizabeth sends them a birthday card. Next year her husband will join those ranks. This year there are 13,000...
Continue ReadingGetting involved
Posted: February 12, 2020
Studies abound about seniors who are lonely or feel isolated. It turns out it’s not as bad as we thought. Some statistics: loneliness surveys from AARP and the University of...
Continue Reading‘Death at home’
Posted: February 6, 2020
‘Death at home’ has become a societal priority and the scene painted is idyllic – the patient is ‘at home’, in bed, surrounded by loved ones in a familiar environment. ...
Continue ReadingAGEISM – ALIVE AND WELL
Posted: February 4, 2020
As the population looks to elect a President over the age of 75, the exact opposite is happening in the workplace. In 2018 the Equal Opportunity Commission, the nation’s workforce...
Continue ReadingSpousal Refusal
Posted: January 28, 2020
Spousal refusal is a legally valid Medicaid planning option in just two states: New York and Florida. By way of background, certain income and assets are exempt from Medicaid if...
Continue ReadingYou can’t teach an old dog new tricks
Posted: January 28, 2020
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” . . . “old habits die hard” . . . “you’ve made your bed, now you have to lie in it” and,...
Continue ReadingBeware of Reverse Mortgages
Posted: January 27, 2020
My parents had a Reverse Mortgage. When they moved out in 2014 the house was returned to the Department of Housing and Urban Development through a process called a Deed...
Continue ReadingDEMENTIA – BE RESPECTFUL
Posted: January 27, 2020
Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia, is a bit like “mental illness” – we lower our voice when we mention that someone in our family or “circle” has been diagnosed. Further,...
Continue ReadingWhy Aren’t We Worried About Our Presidents Losing Cognitive Function?
Posted: January 22, 2020
Why Aren’t We Worried About Our Presidents Losing Cognitive Function? In 2020 we will elect a new President. In 2017, Donald Trump, at the age of 70, was the oldest...
Continue ReadingPARTY HEARTY WITH EVERYONE!
Posted: January 22, 2020
🎶IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR🎶 sings Andy Williams in his iconic holiday song. Yet for many seniors it’s the worst time. They no longer have family or...
Continue ReadingSEX and the single senior
Posted: January 22, 2020
Sex and the single senior or alive and well. Simply because we look old doesn’t mean that fantasies of throbbing members and wet flowers are gone. In fact, STDs (Sexually...
Continue ReadingHospice and Medicare Can be a Deadly Cocktail
Posted: October 2, 2019
My client’s 94 year old Mother was killed while in Hospice. How? She fell out of bed, broke her femur and died within days. She fell out of bed because...
Continue ReadingPolicing hospice
Posted: July 17, 2019
The Son wakes up at all hours of the night. He hears his Mother groaning, her cries and sees her contorted face when she tries to hide the pain. He...
Continue ReadingSix Elder Abuse Myths
Posted: July 17, 2019
There are many misconceptions about how, why and how often abuse occurs. Myth No. 1: Most elder abuse occurs in nursing homes Fact: Most elder abuse occurs by family, trusted friends,...
Continue Reading87% of US hospices surveyed had deficiencies, inspector general says
Posted: July 15, 2019
A pair of startling new reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of Inspector General paints a troubling picture of America’s hospice system — with serious deficiencies...
Continue ReadingHIPPA SHMIPPA
Posted: June 26, 2019
HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information. That’s not all it does . ....
Continue ReadingDo you think you’re ready ? Well, you’re not.
Posted: June 5, 2019
Thank you readers for all your wonderful, validating comments about my very personal article in discussing Mom. I also want to thank Raquel Garcia, the Associate Editor, for encouraging me...
Continue ReadingMom goes to nursing home
Posted: June 5, 2019
The hardest thing I ever did was put my 87 year old Mother’s belongings in a 4 X 4 box and admit her to a nursing home. We had run...
Continue ReadingHospice Care & Palliative Care – When to use Them
Posted: April 10, 2019
Hospice a word that is synonymous with “end of life” care. Palliative – a little more confusing and often confused with ‘end of life’. The two are very different therapies...
Continue ReadingHow to Avoid Falls at Home
Posted: April 8, 2019A practical guide for seniors and their family members. We would like to provide you with some practical information on how to prevent the fall of older people, who may...
Continue ReadingWhat did Luke Perry teach us.
Posted: April 8, 2019
LUKE PERRY (90210) SHOWED US HOW TO DIE. Luke Perry suffered a major stroke at 52. Like many in the movie industry, he had a blended family . . ....
Continue ReadingWe’ve Grown Up But Not Old
Posted: April 3, 2019
“The trick is growing up without growing old.” Casey Stengal Most of my 65-and-over friends work – one has a retail store, another (at 80) still does Public Relations for...
Continue ReadingVideo: Statistics Don’t Lie. Family are the Biggest Abusers
Posted: March 22, 2019
Who are the worst exploiters of seniors? Family, Friends, and Trusted Professionals! Watch the video to find out more.
Continue ReadingTECHNOLOGY: HELP DON’T HINDER SENIORS
Posted: March 21, 2019This past week I was with a client for whom I do legal work. I adore her, a retired college professor with a great sense of humor! She has mobility issues...
Continue ReadingPREPLANNING TOOLS
Posted: March 15, 2019
As everyone is aware, the mantra of Parent Your Parents is two-fold – DO NOT EXPLOIT OUR SENIORS and PREPLAN! Today I want to give you some preplanning tools to...
Continue ReadingReal Senior Exploitation: Buzz Aldrin’s Story
Posted: March 6, 2019
WHO IS THE WORST EXPLOITERS OF SENIORS – FAMILY! I WORK CONSTANTLY AT TRYING TO GET MONEY BACK FROM SOLAR POWER COMPANIES WHO SELL SENIORS UNWEILDY 20 YEAR CONTRACTS, BUT...
Continue ReadingThe warning signs of financial abuse
Posted: March 6, 2019
Following are some signs that financial elder abuse may be occurring: Senior is not allowed to spend money the way the senior wants Senior’s bills are not paid on time...
Continue Reading9 Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Posted: February 1, 2019
Do you know these basic signs of Alzheimer’s? An Alzheimer’s diagnosis is upsetting but there are positive steps everyone can take to make this as easy as possible for those affected.
Continue Reading“(Super) Heroes Are Made Not Born!
Posted: January 15, 2019OMG!! Stan Lee the MAKER of super heroes died! As most of us know, he was the creative genius behind most of Marvel’s super heroes, BUT his wife Joanie was...
Continue ReadingSenior Exploitation
Posted: January 7, 2019
THE WORST CRIME OF ALL – SENIOR EXPLOITATION We hear horror stories of nurses and aides murdering seniors by giving them to much medication or basic neglect (like Holly wood...
Continue ReadingStay Relevant, Smart & Sexy
Posted: December 30, 2018The past year the news has often included the failure of the Broward County Sheriff’s department to prevent the bloodletting on Valentine’s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. And it...
Continue ReadingResources for Caregiving from Afar
Posted: December 22, 2018Our resource partner, Claire Wentz http://caringfromafar.com/, wrote this informative article we thought you would enjoy! Sometimes, living close to a senior parent who needs support isn’t an option. Uprooting a family...
Continue ReadingThe Pleasures of Old Age
Posted: August 30, 2018
“Old age has its pleasures, which, though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth.” W. Somerset Maugham. With maturity comes an ‘ease of being.’ It’s true,...
Continue ReadingWALKING ON THE MOON DOES NOT KEEP YOU FROM AGING
Posted: August 15, 2018Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, is 88 years old and has met his fourth wife. The bad news, the kids don’t like her. Here’s...
Continue ReadingAGING ALONE? PREPLAN!
Posted: August 6, 2018Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it you’ve got to start young.” That is especially true if you plan to...
Continue ReadingRethinking the “I’m Old” Myth
Posted: July 21, 2018
Now that I’m a senior advocate and activist, I find that many things that used to be funny are now insulting. Recently, Julie Andrews did a performance to benefit AARP...
Continue ReadingGROW OLD OR PURSUE YOUR DREAM?
Posted: July 10, 2018Gabriel García Márquez states it beautifully, “It is not true that people stop pursuing their dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing their dreams.” ...
Continue ReadingMedicare Supplement Insurance . . . It Can Be Tricky
Posted: June 15, 2018George, an 85 year old, was surprised when he received a $4000 bill for his pacemaker replacement procedure, after he was told that it would cost him $250. He’d...
Continue ReadingTREATMENT OPTIONS
Posted: May 30, 2018Once a family member becomes ill, we seem to go into a reactive mode instead of proactive mode. Much of this stems from our avoidance . . . we...
Continue ReadingVIVE LA VIDA BUENA (LIVE THE GOOD LIFE)
Posted: May 5, 2018From March 6 to April 8 of this year, I experienced five deaths of people I consider part of my life. Two were wonderful with whom who I had the...
Continue ReadingFLORIDA ADDS MORE MONEY FOR SENIOR CARE
Posted: March 23, 2018As we all now know, after Hurricane Irma fourteen elderly souls died because the nursing home in which they resided did not have a electricity after the storm. As a...
Continue ReadingEmergency Preparedness for Seniors
Posted: March 2, 2018The article below was published by Nursing Home Law News. It was written by Jonathoan Rosenfeld who is the publisher and an attorney. The best part of this article is...
Continue ReadingTHE PERILS OF HOSPITALS
Posted: February 28, 2018HOSPITALS — once synonymous with a place to go when you’re REALLY sick is now the last place you want to be unless it’s prescheduled surgery with a doctor you...
Continue ReadingElder Rage: How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents
Posted: February 8, 2018We at Parent Your Parents think this is a terrific “true experience” article authored by Jacqueline Marcell. Jacqueline is also the Author of Elder Rage @www.ElderRage.com. Check it out! Jacqueline...
Continue ReadingSENIORS SHOULD NEVER SUFFER . . . BUT THEY DO
Posted: January 25, 2018This is an editorial to the Miami Herald written by H. Frances Reaves, Esq., President of Parent Your Parents, in October of 2017. This was written after Hurricane Harvey and...
Continue ReadingNOT ALL HOSPICE IS CREATED EQUAL
Posted: January 21, 2018What is Hospice? First, it is a type of care and philosophy that focuses on the palliation of a chronically ill, terminally ill or seriously ill patient’s pain and symptoms,...
Continue ReadingFINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Posted: January 15, 2018As I’ve discussed in several articles the discussion of money is a must but can also be a monster rearing its ugly head. We’ve discussed having Powers of Attorney...
Continue ReadingNURSING HOMES – HOW TO FIND A GOOD ONE
Posted: January 1, 2018I am confident most of you heard the news about the fourteen seniors who died from overheating. They were all in a licensed “nursing home” in Hollywood Hills. ‘Nursing...
Continue ReadingThe Expected is Still Unexpected
Posted: November 25, 2017On July 28th, at 1:00 am in the morning my phone rang, it was the hospice nurse informing me that Mom had died at 12:28 a And yes, our hospice...
Continue ReadingNursing Homes – Often the End Game
Posted: November 15, 2017I am confident most of you heard the news about the eight seniors who died from overheating. They were all in a licensed “nursing home” in Hollywood Hills. ‘Nursing...
Continue ReadingTough Love – Parenting Your Parents
Posted: November 5, 2017It’s not easy to parent your parents — it’s not a pleasant role — it means Mom, Dad or both are getting weaker and none of us want to admit...
Continue ReadingObservations After a Disaster
Posted: October 31, 2017If you haven’t seen the video of the residents of a nursing home in Houston, Texas sitting in waist high water simply search “video of seniors in waist high water”...
Continue ReadingLAST RITES OR LAST RIGHTS?
Posted: September 20, 2017My nephew was getting married — everyone in our family was thrilled — we love his wife, love him and love that they found each other. The wedding was in...
Continue ReadingTHE BEGINNING OF THE END, HOSPICE CARE
Posted: September 10, 2017Well, the call finally came, “Ms. Reaves, we’d like to re-evaluate your Mother. She has lost more of her core function and we think she might be a candidate for...
Continue ReadingBEST CARE OPTIONS
Posted: August 31, 2017During the journey many of us will take with an older family member there will come the juncture of whether to have in-home care, a move to a smaller place...
Continue ReadingIN HOME CARE – BE WARY, BE INFORMED
Posted: August 24, 2017It’s a good news/bad news scenario. The good news, you have enough money to have in-home care. The bad news, it’s implementation time — finding the right company or person. ...
Continue ReadingBoring But Useful: Medicare/Medicaid – They Sound Alike But Are Very Different
Posted: July 17, 2017BORING BUT USEFUL: MEDICARE – MEDICAID — THEY SOUND ALIKE BUT ARE VERY DIFFERENT Many of us think if we’re eligible for Medicare then we’re also eligible for Medicaid —...
Continue ReadingMonitoring the Monitors – Assisted Living Centers
Posted: June 12, 2017That dreaded phone call — the one where you don’t know the person at the other end of the line and he or she says, “we’re calling about your Mother.”...
Continue ReadingThe Airport Wheelchair – How to Navigate the System
Posted: May 23, 2017THE AIRPORT WHEELCHAIR – HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM The other day, while running in Crandon Park, I came across my friend, Lilian, whose elderly Mom is in pretty good...
Continue ReadingThe Big Event – Travel Plans with Aging Parents
Posted: April 21, 2017This occasion has been in the making for over a year . . . family is coming together and it’s a happy, happy occasion. The entire time your parents have...
Continue ReadingThe Search Begins – First Steps for Choosing An Assisted Living Center
Posted: April 13, 2017You walk into the lobby and take a deep breath. How did you get here? Why is this necessary? How did my very competent ‘elders’ all of a sudden need...
Continue ReadingThe Emotional Toll
Posted: April 13, 2017NOTHING prepares you for your parents aging. Our company can assist with the financial scams and pitfalls but you’re the one who has to watch Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandad...
Continue ReadingHospital to Rehab – The Great Medicare Scam
Posted: April 13, 2017This is one of my all time favorites — the “Hospital to Rehab” scam. Here’s how it works: A medicare, assisted living center client needs to go to...
Continue ReadingHospitals – How to Manage Your Loved One’s Care in the Hospital
Posted: April 13, 2017HOSPITALS — once synonymous with a place to go when you’re REALLY sick is now the last place you want to be unless it’s prescheduled surgery with a doctor you...
Continue ReadingThe Long Term Care Insurance Dilemma
Posted: April 13, 2017Long Term Care Insurance (LTC) is, without a doubt, the most complicated to collect. This is intentional — they do not want to give up any of the money you...
Continue ReadingChoosing Good Care Within the Medicare System
Posted: April 13, 2017When I think of an insurance scams I think of companies who profess to assist in “sex addiction” (whose not addicted to sex?), eating disorders (really — Karen Carpenter still...
Continue ReadingThe Big Move – From the Family Home and Living Alone to the Next Chapter
Posted: April 13, 2017By way of introduction, I became an advisor to families dealing with “aging parents or grandparents” after dealing with my own. The amount of legal work, CPA work, and residential...
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