By Leonard F. Berg, CELA Alzheimer's is a disease that affects the entire family in major ways, but given that its onset is often gradual, there are opportunities to make adjustments that may reduce the turmoil. The early stages, before severe dementia intervenes, are a time to understand your loved one's wishes and to begin [...]
By John Chimarusti, Ph.D, LMSW During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a concept that was commonly referred to as "chronic sorrow" for parents who had children with special needs. Psychologists believed that most families went through seven stages of grieving: shock, confusion, anger/guilt, hope, depression, understanding and acceptance. It was thought that parents experienced [...]
By Michelle DePolo, Psy.D., Pediatric Psychologist, KidsLink Neurobehavioral Center It has been well established that parents of children with autism experience greater stress than parents of children with other developmental disabilities. Whether it is trying to determine what your child is attempting to communicate, managing self-injurious behaviors, or creating a daily structure and routine that [...]
By Brian Rubin, Esq., Attorney and Parent of a 31-Year-Old Son with Autism A letter of intent (LOI), also referred to as a letter of guidance, is a roadmap for your child's "Future Team," the future trustees, guardians, and caregivers (both family and professional service providers). No one knows and understands your child as you [...]
By Joseph R. Gilsoul, Esq. A crisis looms concerning long-term care for individuals with disabilities. Very soon large numbers of baby boomers will begin to develop arthritis, Alzheimer's and other conditions requiring them to seek assistance with basic daily tasks. A potential first step towards addressing this problem—CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports)—is unlikely [...]
By Dennis M. Sandoval, CELA The role of care manager developed over the past decade, originating in the field of eldercare to handle situations in which there were no nearby relatives to assist aging individuals. Responsibilities can vary greatly. A care manager may be needed to ensure that someone with a mental illness continues to [...]
The Voice is the email newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Peter J. Losavio, Jr., CELA, an attorney with Losavio & DeJean, LLC in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Holding both a law degree and LLM in tax, Pete is certified as an elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation and as a Tax Specialist and Estate Planning and Administration Specialist by the Louisiana Board. Pete is a charter member of the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association and a member of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. He limits his practice to asset protection, life care planning and estate and tax planning.
You are reading The Voice, a newsletter published by The Special Needs Alliance. Our purpose is to provide information--and answers--about special needs planning for family members and professionals. We hope this newsletter helps you. We would love to hear your questions, suggestions and comments; please feel free to e-mail us. We also encourage you to forward our newsletter to others who might benefit from the information here, or who might have similar questions.