Keystone Blog
Red Flags for Self-Neglect
Last week’s column introduced the concept of self-neglect (https://keystoneelderlaw.com/self-neglect-elder-abuse-or-individual-choice/). Over the past several years in Pennsylvania, this type of elder abuse has required involvement by Adult Protective Services...
Self-Neglect: Elder Abuse or Individual Choice?
In Pennsylvania, reports of suspected elder abuse have risen 63% over the last 5 years. During the fiscal year 2020-2021, Adult Protective Services (APS) across the Commonwealth received a total of 39,820 reports of suspected elder abuse. Of these reports, 34,742 (87...
Am I On The Hook For My Parents’ Care?
Jeff looked at me across a conference room table that was covered with bills and bank statements. We were discussing Jeff’s father, whose stroke had caused cognitive impairment and problems with physical mobility. Jeff’s father was in a nursing home. The...
Never Too Old For Friends
Henry Ford (1863-1947), the great American industrialist, once stated,“There are three things that grow more precious with age; old wood to burn, old books to read, and old friends to enjoy.” Presumably, this quote is from a time in his life when he could look back on...
Driver’s License Importance for Older Adults
Families often have charged conversations and difficult decisions about an aging parent’s driver’s license. Driver’s licenses are intimately tied to issues of independence and safety that are of concern to aging individuals and their families. As family...
The High Cost of a Simple Will
When planning our estates and thinking about how to pass our property to our loved ones, most of us think of preparing a will. An awful lot of people will go to an attorney to prepare a simple will that specifies how their property will be divided up when they...
Elder Law is Not Just for the Elderly
Working at an Elder Law firm, we regularly receive questions about whether a certain person counts as “elderly” to receive our services, or if we can help someone who is not “elderly.” There is no magic age when a person is old enough to need services that fall...
Green Burial and Additional Final Disposition Options
Choices made by governments, business and industry, and individuals all impact our planet in various ways. Individual choices are usually the easiest to control. All areas of life, including end of life planning, offer opportunities to make choices which are more...
The Environment and Your Final Disposition
Climate change is in the news almost daily. When looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, people have turned to composting, reusable grocery bags, electric cars, LED light bulbs, and numerous other lifestyle modifications. End of life planning...
Home Funerals: Not Just a Historical Practice
Last week’s column covered a quick history of end of life practices in the United States, and introduced a relatively new option for body donation that many people may not have been aware of – body farms. In contrast, home funerals are an end of life choice...
