We are moving our Chicago office....but not far.

Begining on Monday, April 28, 2013, we will be located at:

79 West Monroe Street, Suite 1320, Chicago, IL 60603.

Our phone number will remain the same... 312-899-0950.

The Caregiver Action Network, formally the National Family Caregiver Association,  ....

a resource you should know about.

CAN serves a broad spectrum of family caregivers ranging from the parents of children with special needs, to the families and friends of wounded soldiers; from a young couple dealing with a diagnosis of MS, to adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer's Disease.  

10 Tips for Family Caregivers:

1. Seek support from other caregivers. You are not alone!
2. Take care of your own health so that you can be strong enough to take care of your loved one.
3. Accept offers of help and suggest specific things people can do to help you.
4. Learn how to communicate effectively with doctors.
5. Caregiving is hard work so take respite breaks often.
6. Watch out for signs of depression and don't delay in getting professional help when you need it.
7. Be open to new technologies that can help you care for your loved one.
8. Organize medical information so it's up to date and easy to find.
9. Make sure legal documents are in order. (Click here for information on how we can assist)

10. Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is!

click here to learn more about the Caregiver Action Network.

April is Parkinson's Disease awareness month. Having a designated awareness month helps people better understand the disease itself and can lead to a proper diagnosis for those experiencing the symptoms.

Parkinson's is a progressive, degenerative neurological condition.

The cardinal symptoms of the disease are a resting tremor, muscle stiffness or rigidity, slowness of movement, and a change in gait or balance. The disease, however, can better be understood as a multisystem and multi-organ disorder. What are referred to as non-motor symptoms include depression, anxiety, vision problems, sweating, skin changes, speech volume and articulation problems, urinary and gastric changes. Cognitive changes can also occur, and approximately 20% of patients will eventually develop Parkinson's dementia.

The greatest risk factor for developing the disease is age. The average age for onset is 60, but approximately 10% of the one million people who have PD will be young onset (under 40 years of age). Although we do not yet have anything that will cure, stop or slow down the progression of the disease, we do have many effective treatments and therapies to manage the symptoms. A team approach to care that includes a neurologist, physical therapist, speech therapist, and social worker is the ideal. 

There are several things that individuals can do to live well with PD. It is important to take prescribed medications on time, every time. Daily exercise is vital to maintain a strong body. Knowledge of the disease will help you better manage symptoms and advocate for good care. Obtaining professional legal and financial advice early on can avoid a crisis in the future.

For more information about Parkinson's Disease, go to the  National Parkinson Foundation website at www.parkinson.org, or call 1-800-473-4636.

Author: Paula McFeely Wiener, MSW, LCSW. National Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson's Disease Information Specialist     

Click here to read a fact sheet about early warning signs of Parkinsons Disease.

Click here to read articles, writen by Janna Dutton, Attorney, regarding legal planning when living with Parkinsons Disease.

The federal government is eliminating its most popular reverse mortgage. 

Soon, homeowners will no longer be able to get a lump-sum payment if they apply for a reverse mortgage under the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Standard program.

A reverse mortgage allows a homeowner aged 62 or older to receive a sum of money from the lender, usually a bank, based largely on the value of the house, the age of the borrower, and current interest rates. The loans do not have to be repaid until the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or permanently moves out. The HECM is the only reverse mortgage program insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the FHA sets a ceiling on the amount that can be borrowed against a single-family house.

As of April 1, 2013, the federal government is no longer going to allow home owners to apply for a HECM Standard fixed-rate, lump-sum reverse mortgage. Borrowers still can apply for a line of credit or monthly payments at an adjustable interest rate under the HECM Standard program.

The reason for the change is that there were more defaults with this type of loan as opposed to other loans. While it isn't possible to default on a reverse mortgage payment, home owners must make timely payments of property taxes and homeowner's insurance in order to keep the loan in place. If taxes and insurance aren't paid, the loan can default. The high number of defaults on these types of loans indicates that homeowners in serious financial trouble may have been using the loans as a last resort rather than as part of a financial plan.

Borrowers will still be able to get a lump-sum loan using the HECM Saver program, which pays out a smaller percentage of a home's value compared to a Standard loan.

For more information on reverse mortgages, click here. 

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Planning for today...and tommorrow...requies reivewing many different aspects of a person's life. For more information about how Dutton & Casey can assist with long-term planning, please click here.

Understanding Key Legal Issues for Family Caregivers

This session will attempt to answer legal questions common to all family caregivers in the hope of assisting you avoid legal pitfalls. Questions to be covered are: "What are the duties and authorities under a Power of Attorney for Property, Power of Attorney for Healthcare, Living Trust or Living Will?"; "What options are available in planning and paying for long-term care?"; "How can family caregivers utilize Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance and personal care contracts to maximize another's quality of life?"

Presenter: Janna Dutton, JD

Date: Monday, April 22, 2013

Time: 8:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

Janna's session is part of the event, "A Systematic Approach to Building Your Caregiver Network", being sponsored by Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center, Elderwerks, and Northshore Senior Center.

Location: Midwest Palliative and Hospice Care Center, 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, Illinois

Registration: There is no charge to attend. However, advanced registration is required.Click here to register.

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Navigating Legal Issues for Family Caregivers

This session will attempt to answer legal questions common to all family caregivers in the hope of assisting you avoid legal pitfalls. Questions to be covered are: "What are the duties and authorities under a Power of Attorney for Property, Power of Attorney for Healthcare, Living Trust or Living Will?"; "What options are available in planning and paying for long-term care?"; "How can family caregivers utilize Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance and personal care contracts to maximize another's quality of life?"

Presenters: Janna Dutton, JD, and Rebecca Lerfelt, LCSW, Assistant Director of PLOWS Council on Aging.

Date: Saturday, April 27, 2013

Time: 10:00 A.M. - Noon

Location: Orland Park Public Library, 14921 Ravina Ave., Orland Park, Illinois

Registration: There is no charge to attend this program. However, advanced registration is required. Please call PLOWS Council on Aging at 708-361-0219 or click here.

Legal Ability Planning - How To Prepare for and Prosper in Adulthood

Adequate legal planning for living with a disability, whether your own or your loved one's, involves more than writing a will.  It requires legal documents designed for living.  Attend this session, led by an attorney practicing disability and elder law, as she discusses important topics, including health care planning and coverage, financial and health care surrogate decision-making, long term care, and other important planning tools designed to protect your physical, mental, and financial health, or that of someone you care about, during life.

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Taking Control of Your Future: Strategies for Avoiding Legal Pitfalls

Adequate legal planning for older age involves more than writing a will. This session will address important topics which can impact your physical, mental and financial health. Doing some simple advance preparation now can help you avoid legal pitfalls down the road.

Presenter: Janna Dutton, JD

Date: Wednesday. May 29, 2013

Time: 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location: Terrace Gardens Assisted Living, 8415 Waukegan Rd, Morton Grove, IL 60053

This session is part of a 6 week series, "Resources for Navigating Life Transitions: Your Personal GPS," being sponsored by Elderwerks, Terrace Gardens, Right at Home, and Dutton & Casey. Click here for a flyer regarding the series.  

There is no charge to attend this, or any session. However, advanced registration is required. Click here to register. 

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CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LISTING OF OUR UPCOMING PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY. 

      

CLICK HERE FOR A LISTING OF OUR UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

click here to learn more about our attorneys.