Many older people who are concerned that they will someday be incapacitated protect themselves with a power of attorney. This document gives someone else the right to make decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself. But what if a person who can no longer make decisions doesn’t have a power of attorney – or the power of attorney isn’t enough to protect them for some reason?

A dog or a cat can be a member of the family, but what happens to this family member after you’re gone? How can you ensure that your dog, cat or other pet will be cared for? You can give directions in your will to leave your pet to a caretaker. But there is no guarantee that the caretaker will continue to care for the pet.

A retirement community can force one of its residents to move from a private apartment to a smaller assisted-living unit, a federal court has ruled. Sally Herriot, 90, is a resident of Channing House, a continuing care retirement community in Palo Alto, California. Like many such communities, Channing House provides three levels of care – independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. After moving to the facility with her now-deceased husband in 1991, Ms. Herriot lived

With the stock market down significantly, some parents are looking at safer ways to save for a child’s college education. Prepaid 529 plans offer parents (and other family members) the opportunity to lock in tuition at today’s rates. Up until now, traditional 529 savings plans have been more popular. These traditional plans allow parents or other family members to invest money for a child’s education tax-free, usually in mutual funds. But prepaid plans are gaining ground

We all know we’re supposed to do estate planning, but not all of us get around to it. So what happens if you don’t have a will when you die? Your estate will be distributed according to state laws, which may or may not conform to the way you want your assets and possessions to be distributed. Each state has laws that determine what will happen if a person dies without a will. If you’re married,

The current economic downturn isn’t going to change the needs of seniors for help with the activities of daily living. However, it could have a big effect on how and where that help is provided – at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home. And it could affect who provides the care – family members or hired staff.

Imagine you bought a house and, a year and a half later, you discovered bundles of cash that had been hidden away by the deceased former owner. Who would be entitled to the money – you or the former owner’s estate? Confronted with just such a case, an Oregon appeals court determined that the new owner can keep the windfall. William and Helene Valoff owned a house in Milwaukie, Oregon. After Mr. Valoff’s unexpected death, all

Did you elect to take Social Security benefits before your full retirement age? If you did and are now looking for extra income, there may be an answer. Once you reach full retirement age, you can pay back the money you have received and reapply for full retirement benefits. Although you can collect Social Security benefits between age 62 and your full retirement age, if you do, your benefits will be lower. For example, if you

Disagreements with a nursing home can arise regarding any number of topics, including the quality of food, troublesome roommates, lack of privacy, and services that are less than what was promised. Many disputes can be resolved by speaking with a nursing home staff member or supervisor, or moving up the chain of command. But if you can’t resolve things within the nursing home, your next step should be to contact the local ombudsman assigned to the

In addition to addressing the current housing crisis, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 makes changes to reverse mortgages, including higher borrowing limits and protections from aggressive marketing. A reverse mortgage allows a homeowner who is at least 62 years old to use the equity in his or her home to obtain a loan that doesn’t have to be repaid until the homeowner moves, sells, or dies. The new law, which took effect in