PBM
Ten Tips to Fight Off Dementia
Patricia Bloom-McDonald • Mar 20, 2018

Ten Tips to Fight Off Dementia

Dementia is a dreaded disease that science has yet to find a cure and can affect people as early as their 50s, though most sufferers are over 65 when symptoms first appear. Dementia includes Alzheimer’s Disease, which accounts for 50% to 80% of all dementia cases, or any other condition where your mental faculties decline. Symptoms include problems with language, recognition of family and friends, memory loss, and slowed thinking. Some people hallucinate or believe they are talking to long dead family members.

Sufferers need assistance with areas of daily living activities that can often prove extremely frustrating and burdensome to those tasked with helping them. But although the disease is thus far incurable, there are things you can do for yourself or a loved one who is showing signs of dementia that can slow its progression. Although some of these tips may appear unorthodox, there are studies that back them up:

1.  Do crossword puzzles. Though not for everyone, there are puzzles that are challenging on all levels. A study of 17,000 people conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter found that persons who regularly tackle crossword puzzles had brains that were 10-years younger than their biological age.

2.  Take a sauna. Although no clear rationale has been found for this practice that seems to reduce the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s, Finnish researchers reported that men who took saunas daily were 66% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those who took a sauna only once per week.

3.  Get your sleep . Many studies have emphasized the importance of sleep in avoiding amyloid plague accumulation, a condition linked to dementia.

4.  Exercise regularly. Many researchers want us to engage in 150 minutes each week of moderate exercise that can be combined with vigorous activity. If not possible because of physical limitations, then try 30-minutes of moderate exercise 3 times per week. Exercise has been found to be a factor in maintaining cognitive function.

This can include brisk walking on a treadmill or elliptical if not done outdoors, swimming, bicycling, or jogging so long as your heart rate is increased. Some studies have found that exercise stimulates brain metabolism by preventing an increase in choline, a nutrient that increases when nerve cells are lost, usually in Alzheimer’s patients.

Do not start an exercise routine without first consulting with your doctor, especially if it has been years since you exercised on a regular basis.

5.  Meditation . Read up or find a group, such as a yoga class, that practices meditation. Research from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston reported that this activity slows the onset of Alzheimer’s.

6.  Cook and bake. Do thi s with your loved one who has shown symptoms of dementia.

7.  Find a favorite hobby or activity . Be sure you or your loved one engages regularly in a favorite hobby or activity such as playing bridge. This can also be as simple as knitting or tending a garden, painting, or doing woodwork. Don’t be concerned about the results. It’s the activity that engages the brain that is essential.

8.  Eat a balanced and healthy diet . Cut down on sugar as well as saturated fats like bacon, cheese, red meat, and fried foods. Include more fish, poultry, vegetables and fruit in your diet. This reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and dementia.

9.  Keep alcohol consumption to reasonable levels . Alcohol use is a problem among seniors who often suffer from depression and boredom. Keep your consumption to no more than 2 drinks per day or 14 per week. This does not mean large glasses of wine or double shots of vodka or gin as a single drink. If this is a struggle, then talk to your doctor about ways to control your drinking or that of a loved one. If your parent has a social worker or geriatric care manager, talk to them about programs.

10.  Singing or Dancing . One study seemed to indicate that persons exhibiting symptoms of dementia who engaged in singing or dancing, especially to show tunes, reported a significant improvement in mental performance than those who only listened to the music. This applied even to patients who were in fairly advanced stages of dementia. Singing and dancing appears to stimulate more activity in the left side of the brain, the side that controls tasks involving language skills, comprehension, logic, and scientific skills.

Consult Elder Law Lawyer Patricia Bloom-McDonald

If you, or a parent, or sibling are exhibiting signs of dementia, you should consider talking to elder law lawyer Patricia Bloom-McDonald. There are activities that can slow the process or even improve cognitive function to some degree but you should be prepared for certain consequences that come with dementia that can affect your health and financial affairs. This includes drafting health care directives, granting a durable power of attorney for financial matters, drafting a Last Will and Testament, or establishing a trust, preparing for entering an assisted or nursing home facility, dealing with insurance and public benefits, and other issues.

Call Attorney Patricia Bloom-McDonald today to schedule a complimentary consultation on how she can help with your estate planning needs and how to deal with the issues revolving around dementia, the sooner the better .  Once you, or a parent, or sibling are exhibiting signs of dementia and have been medically diagnosed, the legal capacity to sign legal documents is no longer possible and then the Courts will decide!

The post Ten Tips to Fight Off Dementia appeared first on .

Using a Credit Card When You Have a Special Needs Trust

25 May, 2023
A special needs trust (SNT) allows you to meet your needs while receiving government benefits, such as Medicaid/MassHealth and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). When you have a special needs trust, you can use it to pay for goods and services government benefits do not cover, such as therapy, education,and housing. Since receiving income directly from your trust would jeopardize your eligibility for benefits, your trustee cannot give you cash from your SNT. When you use a credit card for permitted transactions, and your trustee pays off the balance with funds from your trust, these payments to a credit card company are not considered income. An SSI or Medicaid/MassHealth recipient who is capable of managing their own affairs can therefore use a credit card to make small purchases, and the trustee of the special needs trust need not micromanage every transaction. In the past, beneficiaries of SNTs sent their bills to their trustees for payment. Today, an individual with an SNT who qualifies for a personal credit card may find that using a credit card is more convenient. Credit cards have several benefits. Using a credit card to manage payments from your special needs trust allows you to maintain independence, gain access to some of the advantages of a credit card, and easily keep records while preserving your eligibility for Medicaid/MassHealth and SSI. Although credit cards can help people manage their special needs trusts, there are also several important restrictions and considerations to keep in mind. Consult with a special needs planner to ensure all transactions are acceptable under the trust's rules and comply with government regulations. The Benefits of Using Credit Cards When You Have a Special Needs Trust If you have a special needs trust, using a credit card has many benefits, including: Independence : Allowing you to maintain your independence. You can use your card to make qualifying purchases yourself. Your trustee does not have to make the transactions for you. Access to the Typical Advantages of a Credit Card : Using it responsibly can help you establish or build credit history, which may be important for your future financial needs. Record-Keeping : Credit cards provide easy record-keeping and a convenient way to monitor transactions from your special needs trust, which can also help special needs trustees fulfill their duty to maintain records. When you use your card, your trustee can observe your purchases and ensure that all expenses are allowable under the trust’s rules. Your statements can help your trustee keep track of funds leaving the trust. Benefits Eligibility : While adhering to Medicaid/MassHealth and SSI’s income and asset limits, you can access funds from your SNT. Credit cards can help prevent your trustee from accidentally providing you with cash payments that could affect your eligibility for government benefits. Considerations When Using a Credit Card for Your Special Needs Trust While you can use a credit card to access funds from your special needs trust for certain transactions , restrictions apply. If your trustee sees a charge on your card that could affect your benefits eligibility , they can flag it for review. You cannot use your credit card to pay for food and shelter, which SSI would cover. When administering your funds, your trustee must ensure that any expenditures are for your sole benefit if you have a first-party special needs trust. While using a credit card is appropriate, you should not use a debit card. Debit cards are considered cash income. Best Practices When using a credit card for a special needs trust fund, remember several best practices. Choose a card with low fees and interest rates. Set a clear budget and monitor transactions regularly. Keep thorough records and receipts of expenses. Consult with your special needs planning attorney. A special needs planning attorney can help you navigate the rules that apply to your trust and understand how to use a credit card to preserve your Medicaid/MassHealth and SSI eligibility. 

How an ILIT can help offset estate taxes

12 May, 2023
With the Federal estate tax exemption possibly about to be lowered, it may be time to think about steps you can take to keep your estate from being taxed. An irrevocable life insurance trust allows you to pass on money to your heirs while avoiding both the federal estate tax, as well as any applicable state estate tax which is currently $1 million in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Senate Democrats have proposed lowering the current estate tax exemption from $11.7 million for individuals and $23.4 million for couples to $3.5 million for individuals and $7 million for couples. While it is unclear if this proposal will pass, it is likely that some change to the estate tax is coming. Even if Congress does not take any action, the current rate will sunset in 2026 and essentially be cut in half, to about $6 million per individual. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the current estate tax exemption is $1 million for individuals and is taxed at dollar $1.00. A proposal to raise it to $3 Million and the tax to start at $3 Million (not at $1.00) has been submitted in the legislature but has not yet been voted on or enacted. One way to make up for any estate tax your estate may have to pay is by setting up an irrevocable life insurance trust [ILIT]and funding it with a policy that has a death benefit that would pay your heirs some or all of the amount your estate will be taxed. If you purchased such a life insurance policy directly, it could end up being taxed as part of your estate. But if a trust owned the policy, it could pass outside your estate. While a life insurance trust can be highly beneficial, it is also complicated to set up and maintain properly. The following are some of the requirements: Trustee . If you are setting up the trust, you cannot also serve as a trustee. If you are the trustee, you have control of the trust, which could lead to the trust being included in your estate. You will need to name another trusted person or financial institution to act as trustee. Policy ownership . The trust must own the life insurance policy. If you transfer an existing policy to the trust and die within three years, the policy will still be considered a part of your estate. To avoid this risk, the trust can purchase a policy directly rather than receive an existing policy. Premiums . You need to transfer funds to the trust to pay the policy premiums, which creates an issue with gift taxes. A transfer to a trust is usually not subject to the $15,000 yearly gift tax exclusion. For a gift to qualify for the exclusion, the recipient must have a "present interest" in the money. Because a promise to give someone money later does not count as a present interest, most gifts to trusts aren't excluded from the gift tax. To avoid this, you can use something called a “Crummey” power which gives beneficiaries the right to withdraw the funds transferred to the trust for up to 30 days. As part of the process, the trustee needs to send them a letter, known as a Crummey letter, letting them know about the trust funding and their right to withdraw the funds. After the 30 days have passed, the trustee can use the funds to pay the annual insurance premium. You run the risk of the beneficiaries withdrawing the funds, but if they know that by allowing the money to stay in the trust they will receive more money later, it shouldn’t be a problem. Beneficiaries . The beneficiary of the life insurance policy is usually the trust. Once the funds are deposited in the trust, the trustee can distribute the assets to the beneficiaries in the way specified by the trust. For example, if your beneficiaries are minors, you can wait to have the trustee distribute the assets. Keeping the assets in the trust will also protect them from your beneficiaries’ creditors. The downside of an irrevocable life insurance trust is that you do not have the ability to change it once it is set up, although the policy would effectively be canceled if you stopped paying the premiums. If you are considering this type of trust, discuss it with your attorney.
Share by: