special needs Tag

Has this happened to you? There is often a point in a person’s life when he looks at his children and grandchildren, starts thinking about how hard he worked to build his house or his business or his savings and investments, and wonders as he ages whether he will be able to still provide a financial legacy for his children. In particular, he may be worried that if he ever develops...

Here at Fink Rosner Ershow-Levenberg, LLC, we have just celebrated two major milestones. October 1st 2015 marked the 20-year anniversary of when I “hung out my shingle” as an elder law attorney in Union. After ten years representing state agencies and having my new cases just handed to me, opening a private practice was part “jumping off the diving board” and part...

Every day, families are struggling to care for their loved ones at home. The patient may be young with severe disabilities, special needs and nursing needs, or may be aging and unable to live alone due to dementia, confusion or physical weakness. The patient may be dependent on complex durable medical equipment such as  a ventilator, and may require frequent attention from trained attendants,...

Some people who are disabled receive a modest amount of Social Security Disability benefits and also receive Supplemental Security income (SSI). To be eligible for SSI, the total countable income in a given month must not exceed certain amounts that are set annually. If one receives at least a dollar of SSI, s/he can receive Medicaid for health insurance. Effective January 1, 2015, the Social...

I recently came across information about special programs events that may be of interest to you if you are caring for or assisting a family member who has special needs. The events took place in November in the greater Essex-Morris-Union county areas but they are the beginning of what will be many programs on these issues that will be run through the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest....

Last week I saw “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” a drama at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on 47th Street in NYC. What an excellent production. http://curiousonbroadway.com/?gclid=CKa58f_qkMECFa1m7AoddGsArQ Based on a novel written in the first person by the protagonist, 15-year old Christopher Boone, it’s a story about a weird discovery he makes one evening,...

Back on May 29-30 I participated in the 3rd World Congress on Adult Guardianship in Arlington VA and followed up with blog posts about alternative approaches to guardianship around the world. Supported Decision-Making is a concept that is gaining traction in many places and certainly deserves careful consideration here in New Jersey. It’s more complicated than merely entering an...

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) was started in the 1970’s as a program of the federal government that was administered by local non-profit organizations all over the USA to provide a way for retired people to continue to use their vast knowledge and skills to benefit others. In fact both my grandfather and my uncle — retired printers from Barton Press Inc. of Newark and...

Do you have an emerging young adult in your family who is not under a guardianship?  After their 18th birthday, you may want to consider having them meet with an attorney to discuss a durable power of attorney, health care proxy and a Will. People often say, “why do I need a Will?” or “isn’t estate planning for wealthy people?” The fact is that basic estate...

There is a veterinarian whose practice is next door to my office. He came over today to tell me that he is looking for a family to adopt a  3 year old Tennessee Tree Walker Hound. The dog’s name is Flint, and he reportedly lived for three years with a family who had a child with special needs. According to Dr. Orange, Flint is housebroken and well-adjusted, and has a very mild...