Ask The Doctor- Living Alone

Question:  I have a neighbor who is a widow and lives alone. Her family lives out of state; she is quite frail and has very limited finances.  I am worried about her falling and not being able to call for help. What can I do to help her?

Answer:  You are right to be concerned; falls are the leading cause of accidental death in persons over 65. More than 90% of all hip fractures occur as the result of a fall and 1 in 3 seniors living at home fall each year.  Risk factors for falls include increasing age, cognitive impairment and medication use.

     If at all possible your neighbor should see her doctor to have an evaluation done to assess her risk of falling and to take preventative measures. Numerous types of medications are associated with dizziness and falls, and any patient taking four or more medications is at increased risk of falling due to medication interactions. 

     I am excited to announce a new service that is available free of charge that will be of great help to your neighbor. Beginning July 13^th, Ramona Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice is sponsoring the HELP line. HELP is short for Healthy Elder Life Program, and the program will provide:

Toll Free Help Line:   answered by a licensed nurse offering information on many services available to seniors, including county programs, advance directives, finance, insurance & low-income resources, transportation and mobile healthcare services, and much more.  

Daily or Weekly Phone Calls: by a licensed nurse who will check in with elders by phone to ensure safety, or to remind them of physician or other appointments. This service is available by request of the senior or their family member.
Information resources:  for low-income seniors, located on our website or available at the toll free line, including how to navigate the often confusing healthcare delivery system.  

For more information go to  www.help4elders.info or call 888-98ELDER (1-888-983-5337).

     

If you would like to submit a question please contact Jennifer Trebler at jtrebler@ramonavna.org.

Elder Law Attorneys

George F. Dickerman, Attorney

Elder law attorneys address the legal issues that arise as a consequence of the aging process. Elder law is a rather large umbrella and covers the areas that are most practical to the problems that seniors face. Here are the top five ways that these lawyers can assist the elderly:

- 1. Elder Financial Abuse. These are cases where financial predators use undue influence, manipulation and coercion to take property and money from elders who have diminished mental capacity. The perpetrators can by anybody, but are usually family members, caregivers or friends who have the most access to the elder and are least likely to be challenged by outsiders.
- 2. Nursing Home Abuse. Abuse or neglect of a nursing home patient generally results from inadequate staffing where there are too many patients and not enough nursing assistants. Sometimes, this is a conscious policy on the part of the nursing home owner who puts corporate profit ahead of patient care. Fortunately, there are many legal remediesavailable to stop these wrongful acts and to compensate the elderly victim for injuries suffered.
- 3. Conservatorships. When an elder is no longer able to make sound financial and healthcare decisions, and no other alternatives are available, then a request can be made for the court to establish a conservatorship and appoint someone to have the legal authority to make such decisions. This is an involved process but provides a solution to assist an elder who can no longer protect them self.
- 4. Estate Planning. "Living trusts", powers of attorney for financial and healthcare decisions, and wills are the primary documents that constitute a person's estate plan. These written instructions assist the elderly client both during their lifetime and afterwards. A proper estate plan can also avoid the need to establish a conservatorship if the elder becomes unable to make sound decisions. These documents grant all of the legal authority needed to carry on the elder's affairs - without having to seek court involvement.
- 5. Medi-Cal Planning. This term applies to California residents and involves the process of obtaining Medi-Cal benefits to pay the sky-rocketing costs of long term care in a skilled nursing facility. Planning involves three stages: (1) Thorough analysis of the client's financial status to develop a written strategy to obtain eligibility, reduce any share of cost, and avoid recovery claims; (2) Execution of the written strategy; and (3) Completion of the application process. Medi-Cal law is complicated and requires a lawyer experienced in the nuances of the various rules and regulations.
There are many other sub-fields that fall under the elder law umbrella. Each has its own peculiar application and importance as a piece of the elder law puzzle. This brief article has addressed only the top five ways that elder law attorneys can assist their clients.

Law Office of George F. Dickerman
3879 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, California 92501
(951) 788-2156
www.Elder-Law-Advocate.com