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…
This year has been marked by chaotic world markets and trade wars instigated by the current US administration. While Canadians have come together to support Canadian businesses, many medical and patient care products depend on an integrated supply chain with global and American sources. Tariffs on these products may cause…
This week, many of us will be preparing for Mother’s Day and thinking about how we might honour our mothers or grandmothers and those who are a mothering figure. What do mothers consider the best present? Many will say that the best gift is the gift of time. Mothers with…
This blog post was written by Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust Elder abuse remains one of the most underreported and misunderstood social issues, often concealed beneath the veneer of familial obligations and trust-based relationships. For professionals, understanding the intricate dimensions of elder abuse is not only a matter of professional…
For the past five years, it has been my pleasure to address a local service club on the topic of Smart Ageing and discuss other topics proposed by the members. The members are retired professionals and businessmen with an average age of 80. The forty men present in person this…