Free Educational Series

Elder law covers the legal needs of the elderly and people who are planning ahead for their aging. In January, the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin will begin another “Wellness Wednesday” series on financial and legal issues.

The series speaker is Janet Lattyak, attorney from Lattyak Elder Law in Schofield. This free series runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays at the Resource Center, 1000 Lakeview Drive, Wausau. Reservations are preferred; call 261-6070.

The schedule is:

Jan. 21: Advance Directives — Health Care; co-presented by Tim Moe, Aspirus social worker.

Feb. 18: Advance Directives — Financial / Burial/ Funeral.

March 18: Medicaid Planning — Legal Perspective.

April 22: Wills.

May 13: Probate. Note: No legal advice is provided.

In these challenging times, with economic hardships being faced by the aging population trying to live within limited incomes, this free educational series will be a great benefit to elders in the greater Wausau region.

Source:
ADRC series addresses legal concerns of elderly

>Strapped Services

>

As Budget Shortfalls Force Reductions in Home Care, Low-Income People May Face Nursing Homes, Advocates Say

Faced with widening budget shortfalls, several states are rolling back support services for the elderly and disabled.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, at least 15 states, including Alabama, Virginia and Massachusetts, are targeting such funding, mostly for programs that allow low-income shut-ins to receive personal care — like cooking, cleaning and basic health services — in their own homes.

Advocates say that the cutbacks are exacerbating the already long waiting lists for home-care support services in many states. That leaves the low-income elderly and disabled to dip into their meager incomes to hire their own help, reach out to family or charity, or seek more restrictive and expensive care in a nursing home.

In surveys, the elderly and disabled say they prefer to avoid nursing homes and receive less-restrictive care in their own communities.

Pruned Programs:
* With the economy slowing, cash-strapped states are cutting services for the elderly and disabled
* The cuts are making it harder for some vulnerable people to stay in their own homes
* Waiting lists for home and community-based services are lengthening
* Many states expect to make further cuts in the coming year, as budgets continue to tighten

JoAnn Lamphere, director of state government relations at AARP: “We are beginning to see serious cuts and we are expecting those cuts to get worse.”

Full Article and Source:
States Cut Services for Elderly, Disabled

Strapped Services

As Budget Shortfalls Force Reductions in Home Care, Low-Income People May Face Nursing Homes, Advocates Say

Faced with widening budget shortfalls, several states are rolling back support services for the elderly and disabled.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, at least 15 states, including Alabama, Virginia and Massachusetts, are targeting such funding, mostly for programs that allow low-income shut-ins to receive personal care — like cooking, cleaning and basic health services — in their own homes.

Advocates say that the cutbacks are exacerbating the already long waiting lists for home-care support services in many states. That leaves the low-income elderly and disabled to dip into their meager incomes to hire their own help, reach out to family or charity, or seek more restrictive and expensive care in a nursing home.

In surveys, the elderly and disabled say they prefer to avoid nursing homes and receive less-restrictive care in their own communities.

Pruned Programs:
* With the economy slowing, cash-strapped states are cutting services for the elderly and disabled
* The cuts are making it harder for some vulnerable people to stay in their own homes
* Waiting lists for home and community-based services are lengthening
* Many states expect to make further cuts in the coming year, as budgets continue to tighten

JoAnn Lamphere, director of state government relations at AARP: “We are beginning to see serious cuts and we are expecting those cuts to get worse.”

Full Article and Source:
States Cut Services for Elderly, Disabled

Strapped Services

As Budget Shortfalls Force Reductions in Home Care, Low-Income People May Face Nursing Homes, Advocates Say

Faced with widening budget shortfalls, several states are rolling back support services for the elderly and disabled.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, at least 15 states, including Alabama, Virginia and Massachusetts, are targeting such funding, mostly for programs that allow low-income shut-ins to receive personal care — like cooking, cleaning and basic health services — in their own homes.

Advocates say that the cutbacks are exacerbating the already long waiting lists for home-care support services in many states. That leaves the low-income elderly and disabled to dip into their meager incomes to hire their own help, reach out to family or charity, or seek more restrictive and expensive care in a nursing home.

In surveys, the elderly and disabled say they prefer to avoid nursing homes and receive less-restrictive care in their own communities.

Pruned Programs:
* With the economy slowing, cash-strapped states are cutting services for the elderly and disabled
* The cuts are making it harder for some vulnerable people to stay in their own homes
* Waiting lists for home and community-based services are lengthening
* Many states expect to make further cuts in the coming year, as budgets continue to tighten

JoAnn Lamphere, director of state government relations at AARP: “We are beginning to see serious cuts and we are expecting those cuts to get worse.”

Full Article and Source:
States Cut Services for Elderly, Disabled

>Foster Care System Report

>

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children released a report that says about 30 percent of the children in foster care in the state have no prospect of a permanent family.

The PPC’s report explains that federal law directs a child welfare agency to petition the court for the involuntary termination of parental rights if a child has been in foster care for 15 months out of a 22-month period, unless compelling reasons exist not to terminate parental rights.

As of March 2008, nearly 19 percent of the children in foster care in McKean County, which was 16 children, had been there 17 months or longer. Of that, eight children still had reunification with family as a case goal; one had, as a case goal, to live with relatives; four had long-term foster care; one had emancipation and two had guardianship as goals.

Statistics:

* The total number of children in foster care was 85, and the median length of stay for those children was 11 months

* One child who was released to adoption had spent 125 months — or 10.4 years — in foster care. That number is higher than those reported for any other county in the state

* Two children who went into guardianship spent a median of 63 months — 5.25 years — in foster care

* Two children who were released to an unnamed “other” had spent a median time of 27 months in foster care

* Thirty-six children left foster care to return home to their parents after just one month

* Four children went to other relatives after one month

* Five children “aged out” of the system

The report also spells out the number of children reunified with their families between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2007 — and then re-entered foster care within 12 months. There were 86 reunifications and 35 re-entries in total.

Full Article and Source:
Agency releases report on children in foster care

See also:
Large Percentage of Foster Children in Limbo in PA

Foster system faulted for not placing kids

Foster Care System Report

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children released a report that says about 30 percent of the children in foster care in the state have no prospect of a permanent family.

The PPC’s report explains that federal law directs a child welfare agency to petition the court for the involuntary termination of parental rights if a child has been in foster care for 15 months out of a 22-month period, unless compelling reasons exist not to terminate parental rights.

As of March 2008, nearly 19 percent of the children in foster care in McKean County, which was 16 children, had been there 17 months or longer. Of that, eight children still had reunification with family as a case goal; one had, as a case goal, to live with relatives; four had long-term foster care; one had emancipation and two had guardianship as goals.

Statistics:

* The total number of children in foster care was 85, and the median length of stay for those children was 11 months

* One child who was released to adoption had spent 125 months — or 10.4 years — in foster care. That number is higher than those reported for any other county in the state

* Two children who went into guardianship spent a median of 63 months — 5.25 years — in foster care

* Two children who were released to an unnamed “other” had spent a median time of 27 months in foster care

* Thirty-six children left foster care to return home to their parents after just one month

* Four children went to other relatives after one month

* Five children “aged out” of the system

The report also spells out the number of children reunified with their families between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2007 — and then re-entered foster care within 12 months. There were 86 reunifications and 35 re-entries in total.

Full Article and Source:
Agency releases report on children in foster care

See also:
Large Percentage of Foster Children in Limbo in PA

Foster system faulted for not placing kids

>Guardian – Conservator

>
Guardian of the Person – Conservator of the Estate

Source:
How An Unwanted Guardianship Cost a Firefighter His Freedom and His Fortune

See also:
Interview With Norman

Unwanted Guardianship

Guardian – Conservator

Guardian of the Person – Conservator of the Estate

Source:
How An Unwanted Guardianship Cost a Firefighter His Freedom and His Fortune

See also:
Interview With Norman

Unwanted Guardianship

Guardian – Conservator

Guardian of the Person – Conservator of the Estate

Source:
How An Unwanted Guardianship Cost a Firefighter His Freedom and His Fortune

See also:
Interview With Norman

Unwanted Guardianship

>Probate Judge Frees Woman

>

A Greenwich judge has freed a Michigan woman who has been caught in a Connecticut probate court dispute for more than a year.

Marilyn Plank, a Michigan woman brought to Connecticut by relatives under questionable circumstances in 2007, can now return to her home state of Michigan.

Probate Judge David Hopper granted Plank’s wish to return to Michigan after probate court administrator Paul Knierim began investigating the case. Knierim stepped in after learning about the case in reporter Rick Green’s , Another probate court kidnap case in Connecticut.

Critics say the case is another example of the need to reform and restructure state probate courts.

Source:
Greenwich probate court frees Michigan woman

See also:
Probate Investigation

Probate-Sanctioned Kidnapping