Estate Planning When Heir Has Substance Abuse Problem
This blog post from attorneys in North Carolina does a good job at illustrating some of the things that can happen when an heir might have a substance abuse problem. The key here is to accept the situation and plan appropriately so that your estate is distributed how you want and that you provide for contingencies based on your concerns potential negative uses of the money / assets you leave behind. Trusts and other options are available that can offer a certain amount of control while still allowing a family to make sure that a loved one is taken care of. Avoiding the problem won’t make it go away. Worth a read.
What Do Parents Worry About
This blog from 2017 cites a survey conducted that investigated parental worry conducted by ASecureLife (Link to Research - https://www.asecurelife.com/what-do-us-parents-fear-most/). What was interesting was that some of the bigger worries were likely things we shouldn’t worry about and others were things that are legitimate threats (like Accidents). They also noted some differences between barents of different generational breaks. It’s a viable assumption that perhaps with age comes some perspective of what to worry about (accidents rose to the top for Boomer Parents - unintentional injuries are the number one killer of kids 1-19 years old). I’d love to know if there is other research out there that you find helpful in navigating what’s worth worrying about or not.
Welcome to the Sandwich Generation - Caregiver Tips
A blog post on The Good Men Project calls out some helpful tips to a caregiver who wrote in about some of the stresses she has as a parent and caregiver to her father. Caregiving is a huge honor and blessing, but also comes with significant stresses that can impact a family dynamic. Consistently, we know that taking care of oneself is something overlooked as we push to try and handle things ourselves. But that’s also the fastest path to burnout. This post identifies some helpful tips that mirror others we have seen - suggesting they are fairly consistent for a reason. But one thing to note that differs in this is to reach out to your employer, because many employers are now offering caregiver programs as part of their benefits packages. Read more below.
Intergenerational Farmer’s Market
I can’t say it any better than this blurb in the article, “The Burlington-based Living Well Group is a nonprofit that runs three residential-care assisted-living homes for low-income older Vermonters living with dementia. Although it was initially difficult to find a children's organization to partner with, Segal said, the Boys & Girls Club saw the value the collaboration would bring to its young participants, and the two have been a perfect fit.” This seems like a replicable idea that could fit in nearly any community. It doesn’t have to be elders, but its great to see elders interacting with youth and people from different generations in order to pass down wisdom and knowledge that might disappear otherwise.
