Trinity Elder Law & Estate Planning October 2019

Trinity Elder Law & Estate Planning October 2019

My Journey in Elder Law Peace of Mind Post I t’s hard to believe summer is over and that very soon, we’ll be wearing sweaters and carving pumpkins. If you are a regular reader of our newsletter, you may have noticed it took a summer hiatus. However, the newsletter is back with an updated format and more information for you. THE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE YOU’LL EVER MAKE OCTOBER 2019

We last left you with the story of my late grandmother and her elder care journey. I am a certified elder law attorney because of two reasons: my grandmother and a farm. I had the good fortune to grow up on two farms on both sides of the tiny town of Renfrew in Butler County. One farm was my father’s — it was about a mile on one side of Renfrew — and the other farm was my grandparents’, which was about 3 miles on the other side. Growing up on a farm instilled a strong work ethic, an appreciation for the little things, and a unique understanding of the fragile nature of life. Farm work is good work, but it is hard work. While I loved the farm, somewhere around the eighth grade, I decided I wanted to become an attorney. I commuted from the farm to Oakland to complete my undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Commuting, working two jobs, and studying kept me quite busy. When it was time to choose a law school, I decided to venture outside western Pennsylvania. I landed in northwestern Indiana, at Valparaiso University, for law school. In school, I focused on estate planning and tax law. Valparaiso was a charming little town, but it wasn’t home. My grandmother was living alone by that time, and I came home frequently to visit her. As soon as I graduated from law school, I came back to western Pennsylvania and got my first job in a small firm in the North Hills. Sixteen days after I passed the bar exam, my grandmother fell in the middle of the night and fractured her hip. For her, it was the beginning of the downward spiral that led to her passing and the sale of her farm.

“I realized that we should all be planning our lives proactively, not reactively. We can’t leave our future up to chance when a crisis affects us.”

Through my grandmother’s experience, I saw firsthand what can happen to us and our families if we neglect our estate planning. I wanted to make sure families were able to put preventive plans in place to get the care their loved ones need and avoid losing assets when a crisis happens. I realized that we should all be planning our lives proactively, not reactively. We can’t leave our future up to chance when a crisis affects us. Our families mean too much to us. My grandmother’s experience also made me realize that my place wasn’t anywhere else but Butler County. I got my start in Butler County, it will always be my home, and it certainly has my heart. I still spend as much time as I can on my father’s farm. And now, I have the tools and expertise to help others protect their farms and families. We work hard to see to it that nothing in your life is left to chance. To learn more about what we can help you with here at Trinity Estate Law, give us a call at 724.256.8850 or visit our website anytime at TrinityElderLaw.com.

724.256.8850

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Tips for Reduci TAKING TIME TO MAK Being a caregiver can be a thankless job. A life completely revolving around a single person who can’t care for themselves can leave you emotionally and physically drained. That’s why it’s so important for caregivers to take time out of their day to treat themselves. By giving yourself the time to practice these methods of stress reduction, you’ll be in top form to offer your loved one or patient the help they so desperately need. You owe it to them and yourself. Stress can manifest itself in strange ways, so much so that you may not even be conscious that you’re experiencing it. Some signs of caregiver stress you may be experiencing are lack of sleep, easy irritation, headaches, alcohol or drug abuse, feeling needlessly overwhelmed, depression, losing interest in your passions, and so much more. In order to address these issues, you’d be wise to take a minute for yourself and realize that you need help too. Just because you’re able to fully care for yourself doesn’t mean you have to . As with any industry, reaching out

T he bulk of retirement planning is spent discussing how you will save money in the years leading up to the end of your career, but that’s only half of the picture. Once you enter retirement, your focus shifts to the smartest way to divest your money for both your own enjoyment and your continued financial security. There are countless ways to wisely spend your nest egg, such as taking trips, providing for the education of your grandchildren, and more. However, this article isn’t about good ideas. Instead, let’s talk about some of the worst ways to spend your retirement funds. Timeshares The appeal of a timeshare seems obvious. It’s a space of your own for a few weeks of the year, and you get to enjoy a nice change of pace from your regular environment. The problem is that these properties are full of hidden costs and have been outpaced by other vacationing options. In a world where you can book an Airbnb with just a few clicks, timeshares are poised to become a relic of a past age. Online Scams Hackers and cyberscammers love to prey on the elderly. As gross as it may sound, they know that older generations tend to be less tech savvy than their younger counterparts. You should be wary of online offers that look too good to be true. If you have even the slightest doubt, have a loved one take a look at the offer to ensure you’re not being scammed. Never provide your private financial >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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