Charles Ross, Sr. died earlier this month. He had lived in Chesterfield for many years, but spent his last four and a half years in Massachusetts with his son after doctors told Chuck Jr. that his dad was no longer able to live on his own.
Chuck Jr. chronicled this on a blog, Life With Father, in which he honestly and touchingly hashes out both the emotional and logistical complications of loving and caring for an aging parent.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Long-Term Care Insurance - Is It Worth It?
NPR did a story this week on long-term care insurance. The reporter asks, but failed to answer, many important questions:
-- Will you need the insurance?
-- Can you afford the premiums?
-- Can you afford not to have the coverage?
-- If you get the insurance, will they pay on claims when you need them to?
-- If they don't pay (and you don't happen to live in Oregon), what is your recourse?
Oregon recently implemented an appeals procedure to review denied claims, which saves elderly citizens from having to wade through the complicated policy documents and court procedures to secure payment. Oregon, though, tends to be fairly progressive on these types of social issues.
Will other states follow? Time will tell.
-- Will you need the insurance?
-- Can you afford the premiums?
-- Can you afford not to have the coverage?
-- If you get the insurance, will they pay on claims when you need them to?
-- If they don't pay (and you don't happen to live in Oregon), what is your recourse?
Oregon recently implemented an appeals procedure to review denied claims, which saves elderly citizens from having to wade through the complicated policy documents and court procedures to secure payment. Oregon, though, tends to be fairly progressive on these types of social issues.
Will other states follow? Time will tell.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Series: The Law In Our Lives
It's that time again, folks - moving time.
The way I figure it, I move on average once every year or so. Even though it's been a while since I signed a traditional lease, it shakes out to be more or less an annual task.
With this most recent move, I'm shifting back to the land of the traditional lease handled by a property management company, and I'm having scary flashbacks to my last commercial landlord. I had lots of closet space and a great location, but other than that, everything about that last commercial landlord was terrible. They didn't care about the tenants, they didn't close requested work orders (my bathroom faucet leaked for three years - three years - before they fixed it), they took terrible care of the building and made shoddy repairs when they made them at all (the poorly-caulked shower had leaked through to the living room wall on the other side, and they fixed it by painting over the mold!). Eventually, I just couldn't take it any more. I was the last of the tenants in the building who paid regularly and on time, and they ran me out. Probably not a wise business choice on their part, but they deserve what they have coming to them.
I'm getting nervous reviewing the application and lease documents for this new place. Missouri is a very, very landlord-friendly state; tenant rights are quite limited, even when that tenant happens to be an attorney. Everything is drafted in the landlord's favor, but the rental market is tight where I'm looking and if you fuss about their terms, you're out. So, just like all the other schmucks out there, I just have to sign on the line and hope for the best.
Fingers crossed that it's better than last time.
The way I figure it, I move on average once every year or so. Even though it's been a while since I signed a traditional lease, it shakes out to be more or less an annual task.
With this most recent move, I'm shifting back to the land of the traditional lease handled by a property management company, and I'm having scary flashbacks to my last commercial landlord. I had lots of closet space and a great location, but other than that, everything about that last commercial landlord was terrible. They didn't care about the tenants, they didn't close requested work orders (my bathroom faucet leaked for three years - three years - before they fixed it), they took terrible care of the building and made shoddy repairs when they made them at all (the poorly-caulked shower had leaked through to the living room wall on the other side, and they fixed it by painting over the mold!). Eventually, I just couldn't take it any more. I was the last of the tenants in the building who paid regularly and on time, and they ran me out. Probably not a wise business choice on their part, but they deserve what they have coming to them.
I'm getting nervous reviewing the application and lease documents for this new place. Missouri is a very, very landlord-friendly state; tenant rights are quite limited, even when that tenant happens to be an attorney. Everything is drafted in the landlord's favor, but the rental market is tight where I'm looking and if you fuss about their terms, you're out. So, just like all the other schmucks out there, I just have to sign on the line and hope for the best.
Fingers crossed that it's better than last time.
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