(Gaithersburg, MD) Delray, FL May 02, 2020: Mindy Felinton, founder of Felinton Elder Law & Estate Planning Centers, has posted a new article on her law firm’s website entitled “How Many Of The 41,155 People Who Died In The U.S. Of COVID19 Were Prepared.” Ms. Felinton’s best guess is that not many of those who died had their affairs in order. 

Mindy Felinton

Felinton writes, “While many of the 41,155 people who have died to date in the U.S. from COVID19 since early March were elderly, many of them were not.” She goes on to add, “How many of those dearly departed souls were prepared to take leave of this life, I cannot say. But, I’m willing to guess that many of them did not have wills, estate plans or any legal plans in place.” “As a result,” Felinton says, “once this pandemic dies down and the surviving loved ones are able to start sorting things out, they are more than likely going to be faced with a legal mess to untangle.”

“While life as we know it is disrupted, we don’t know exactly when we will be able to move about without being aware of social distancing again,” Felinton writes. She continues, “Until that time, caution is key. Even though you may be getting “cabin fever” or going “stir crazy” it’s better than the alternative. And while everyone is proposing all kinds of activities from learning how to play musical instruments or to speak a new language, I’d be more inclined to suggest taking steps to get legal plans filed.”

According to Felinton, “Having legal plans in place if you have minor children is integral. If you should get the virus and not recover do you know who will tend to your minor children’s needs? If you are a single parent, who will take care of your minor children? These are important decisions that must be made and it’s best to make them while you are healthy and of sound mind.”

Felinton writes, “This is also a time to focus on your elderly parents and loved ones. It’s a good time to suggest a review of their legal plans and to find out if they have designated a Financial Power of Attorney or a Health Care Power of Attorney. Many people who believe they don’t have much stuff or money, think they don’t need any legal planss. But most people have more things of value than they know.”

The entire article can be read at https://www.felintonlaw.com/how-many-of-the-41155-people-whove-died-in-the-u-s-of-covid19-were-prepared/

About Mindy Felinton

From a young age, Mindy wanted to be the voice that would make an impact in people’s lives.   She became an attorney and has practiced law for over 30 years, so that she could fulfill her desire to help others.  As a special prosecutor, Mindy defended the underdog (literally) in cases of animal abuse.  As a state attorney in Florida she fought for justice. During the last 25 years, Mindy met many wonderful people who did not know their rights, did not understand the law, and did not know what options were available. She made a decision to focus her practice on Elder Law, Medicaid, Veterans’ benefits, and Estate Planning.  Thus she is able to guide her clients through those difficult and sometimes overwhelming processes.

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Delray Beach, FL November 18, 2019: Mindy Felinton, founder of Felinton Elder Law & Estate Planning Centers, has posted a new article on her law firm’s website entitled “Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month Reminds Me Why I Do What I Do,” in which Ms. Felinton shares two incidents that shaped her future.

Felinton writes, “My desire to work helping the elderly in a legal capacity began a long time ago.” She continues adding, “In effect, the seeds for my career were planted years ago when the phone rang, and, upon answering I heard the panic-stricken voice of my friend on the line. She was terrified that she was going to lose her home because of the devastating cost of her husband’s nursing home care.” “Another dear friend,” says Felinton, “sought my advice when she discovered that her husband had early onset Alzheimer’s.”

According to Felinton, “I’ll never forget how my journey began, especially during this month that is dedicated to Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness. This is a time that I am reminded once again of how quickly and easily families can be devastated by this and other diseases if they have no plan in place and no one to turn to for guidance.” Felinton points out, “I continually have prospective clients come to my offices whose elderly, and sometimes not so elderly parents are in the grips of late stage Alzheimer’s.” She continues adding, “These are circumstances where there has been no communication between parents and their adult children about the future. The what if questions were never asked. What if something were to happen? What if I were to suddenly become ill and not be able to make decisions anymore? What if I were to get into an accident, be suddenly killed or permanently disabled, who would care for me?” She further elaborates, “Parents have been so busy taking care of their children that their own future needs are all too often not even considered. Most people tend to forget about their own long-term health care needs in favor of more immediate needs and desires.”

“The adult children,” writes Felinton, “who have children and busy lives of their own, are typically caught up and have not been able to turn their attention fully to their parents. So signs of dementia may go unnoticed during short visits or phone calls.” As she points out, “So this disease tends to sneak up on families. And when elderly parents can no longer make important legal decisions due to mental decline, the adult children are suddenly thrown into a position of having to figure things out. It can be very disconcerting and chaotic. But there are solutions.”

The entire article can be read at https://www.felintonlaw.com/alzheimers-disease-awareness-month-reminds-me-why-i-do-what-i-do/

About Mindy Felinton

From a young age, Mindy wanted to be the voice that would make an impact in people’s lives. She became an attorney and has practiced law for over 30 years, so that she could fulfill her desire to help others. As a special prosecutor, Mindy defended the underdog (literally) in cases of animal abuse. As a state attorney in Florida she fought for justice. During the last 25 years, Mindy met many wonderful people who did not know their rights, did not understand the law, and did not know what options were available.

Mindy assists families with Medicaid planning to help with the cost of nursing home care and with obtaining veteran’s benefits to make the cost of care more manageable.   She also prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and medical directives.  Mindy is passionate about educating both other professionals and the public concerning VA Aid & Attendance benefits, Medicaid benefits,  and the use of trusts for the protection of assets.  She shares her experience and professional knowledge through free workshops, and as a frequent lecturer at State Bar Conferences.

The post Felinton Elder Law & Estate Planning Centers Founder, Mindy Felinton Tells Readers How Alzheimer’s Disease Influenced Her Decision To Become An Elder Care Attorney appeared first on Felinton Elder Law and Estate Planning Centers.

Elder care law, estate planning, and asset protection all go hand in hand…

My desire to work helping the elderly in a legal capacity began a long time ago.

In effect, the seeds for my career in elder care law were planted years ago when the phone rang, and, upon answering I heard the panic-stricken voice of my friend on the line. She was terrified that she was going to lose her home because of the devastating cost of her husband’s nursing home care. Another dear friend sought my advice when she discovered that her husband had early onset Alzheimer’s.

In The Beginning of My Elder Care Law Career…

I’ll never forget how my journey began, especially during this month that is dedicated to Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness. This is a time that I am reminded once again of how quickly and easily families can be devastated by this and other diseases if they have no plan in place and no one to turn to for guidance.

I continually have prospective clients come to my elder care law offices whose elderly, and sometimes not so elderly parents are in the grips of late stage Alzheimer’s. These are circumstances where there has been no communication between parents and their adult children about the future. The what if questions were never asked. What if something were to happen? What if I were to suddenly become ill and not be able to make decisions anymore? What if I were to get into an accident, be suddenly killed or permanently disabled, who would care for me? Parents have been so busy taking care of their children that their own future needs are all too often not even considered. Most people tend to forget about their own long-term health care needs in favor of more immediate needs and desires.

Typical Family Life

The adult children, who have children and busy lives of their own, are typically caught up and have not been able to turn their attention fully to their parents. So signs of dementia may go unnoticed during short visits or phone calls. So this disease tends to sneak up on families. And when elderly parents can no longer make important legal decisions due to mental decline, the adult children are suddenly thrown into a position of having to figure things out. It can be very disconcerting and chaotic. But there are solutions.

The Sad Truth

According to an Alzheimer’s resource, alz.org, “Alzheimer’s disease is thought to begin 20 years or more before symptoms arise, with small changes in the brain that are unnoticeable to the person affected. Only after years of brain changes do individuals experience noticeable symptoms, such as memory loss and language problems.”

No one I know is on the lookout for these kinds of symptoms. Most of us move through life busily attending to things until we are stopped in our tracks by accidents or illness. A family member or friend is diagnosed, then we all remember seeing the signs which were not recognized as the beginning of an illness but only thought to be absent mindedness.

Ask Questions About Future Care Before It’s Too Late

If there is a take-away from all of this, it would be that families start taking an active role in asking their parents about the future. Find out if they have an estate and asset protection plan in place that includes long-term care. These topics are becoming easier to bring up as we humans are living longer and more of us are seeing family members and friends not knowing what to do when they are caught off-guard. And, please, seek the services of a reputable Elder Care Attorney sooner rather than later.

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