Recently in the news, you may have read about an older couple in Brantford, Ontario, who were scammed out of more than $ 1 million over 5 months. And another incident in Victoria, where a man was scammed out of his life savings of almost $ 1.7 million over 6…
When planning ahead, most older people will say they want to stay in their own home until the end of life. While this may be their goal, the reality is that care needs can escalate rapidly and become more complex, requiring specialized caregivers. Depending on the resources available to pay…
This year, our summer weather has extended well beyond its normal time. The roses in the garden are blooming for a third time and with October here, pumpkin spice flavoring is everywhere. It’s time to celebrate the harvest and get ready for Thanksgiving. As you gather with family and friends,…
Life happens. In an instant, you may find yourself as a substitute decision-maker for a person or relative. You may have forgotten you agreed to act as their Attorney for Personal Care. Or in some cases, it comes as a surprise that you have been appointed by a parent or…
Increasingly, families are struggling with hospital discharges, especially for elderly persons with complex care needs. The primary reason is that transition planning is not sufficiently planned for or considered. Before you agree to any discharge for a family member, you must first understand what a high-quality transition plan looks like….
Transitions are not easy for anyone at any age. Reading the Saturday paper today, there were several articles on getting teens ready for campus life as they go off to university or college in a few weeks. Having experienced this in our own family, I scanned the articles based on…
While most of us prefer to avoid the hospital, there may be times when we require acute hospital care. In Canada, we have basic insured health care coverage, which covers the cost of an acute hospital stay. However, discharge home from the hospital, especially with complex care needs, can be…
This blog is the third blog in a series on this topic and is written specifically for family members. In our last blog, Plan for Diminishing Capacity: Pre-dementia Financial Warning Signs – All About Estates, we discussed unusual financial behaviours. If a loved one is missing bills, repeating transactions, or…
By: Maddi Thomas, associate and Sukhman Sangha, articling student Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Mental capacity continues to be a growing area of focus in estates law. Capacity, defined under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 (“SDA”) as the ability to understand and appreciate decision consequences, is assessed through medical and…
Diminishing capacity is a very complex topic. It may happen quickly or be a long, slow decline in the ability to make effective decisions. The risks can be devastating, impacting a person’s health and financial well-being. Emerging research indicates that issues managing finances could be an early warning sign of…