Adamsky Law Offices Blog

For many people, age 65 doesn't mean they retire. Those of a certain age cannot even apply for Social Security at age 65. But, you still need to apply for Medicare at 65. So, the SSA has a new online application procedure. Read the Elder Law Answers article linked to below for more details. Social Security Adds New Online Medicare Application - ElderLawAnswers Articles Or go to the Social Security Website at: www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly/

By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world. The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps; And Time the ruined bridge has swept Down the dark stream which seaward creeps. On this green bank, by this soft stream, We set today a votive stone; That memory may their deed redeem, When, like our sires, our sons are gone. Spirit, that made those heroes dare To die, and leave their children free, Bid Time and Nature gently spare The shaft we raise to them and thee. Ralph Waldo Emerson April 19th is Patriots' Day in Massachusetts (I note that some calendars say 9/11 is now Patriots' Day, but that's something altogether different). The April Patriots' Day holiday celebrates the Battles of Lexington and Concord that were the unofficial start of the American Revolution (the "Shot Heard Round the World." and the "Midnight Ri...

Once the house was lovely, but it's lonely here to-day, For time has come an' stained its walls an' called the young away; An' all that's left for mother an' for me till life is through Is to sit an' tell each other what the children used to do. We couldn't keep 'em always an' we knew it from the start; We knew when they were babies that some day we'd have to part. But the years go by so swiftly, an' the littlest one has flown, An' there's only me an' mother now left here to live alone. Oh, there's just one consolation, as we're sittin' here at night, They've grown to men an' women, an' we brought 'em up all right; We've watched 'em as we've loved 'em an' they're splendid, every one, An' we feel the Lord won't blame us for the way our work was done. They're clean, an' kind an' honest, an' the world respects 'em, too; That's the dream of parents...

Boston Area Detectives are reporting several crimes against the elderly, and remind all residents to use care in allowing unsolicited workers in their homes. They recommend calling the local police to verify the identity of anyone seeking access to their homes. In one incident, 3 white males entered a home stating they were from the Water Department and had to check the basement for possible flooding. Once in the home the suspects separated, and $800 in cash was taken from a bedroom drawer. In another incident, a white male entered a home wearing an ID tag that read: “Water Disaster Department”. The elderly couple were led to the basement and told to run their washing machine. While in the basement, a second suspect had time to remove cash from two dresser drawers and also pried open a medium size closet safe. For the most part, government employees are not checking basements for flooding. If they are official workers, they will have uniforms and Identification, as well as a properly l...

Not from successful love alone, Nor wealth, nor honor'd middle age, nor victories of politics or war; But as life wanes, and all the turbulent passions calm, As gorgeous, vapory, silent hues cover the evening sky, As softness, fullness, rest, suffuse the frame, like fresher, balmier air, As the days take on a mellower light, and the apple at last hangs really finish'd and indolent-ripe on the tree, Then for the teeming quietest, happiest days of all! The brooding and blissful halcyon days! [Whitman realized that aging leads to the best time of life. My grandmother said that her 50's was the best time of her life. She was old enough to be done with the folly of youth, but young enough to enjoy her wisdom and the time she had left. She never mentioned if her 60's 70's and 80's were better than her 50's. I hope they were, and I hope they will be for me. Ed.]

A grandson calls and says he's in trouble — what do you do? The caller identifies himself as your grandson, who is in jail in Canada and needs money for bail. Of course you will wire him the funds he needs, right? That's what the crooks are counting on. Don't do it! It's a Trick! Variations on the theme include car or other legal troubles in Canada, saying that authorities won't let them leave the country without the money. The caller asks that money be sent to a friend, through Western Union. While there is little police can do to help those who have lost money to such crooks, police warn others to be wary of such scams. Investigators say such scams have been used increasingly to target elderly people, by researching their would-be victims' personal information before making contact. A Web site, phonebusters.com, which was set up by a Canadian law enforcement task force, contains a long list of such scams. The Canadian scam task force can also be reached by...

From www.elderlawanswers.com Many Web sites offer customized, do-it-yourself wills and other estate planning documents. These computer-based services appear to offer a cost-effective and convenient alternative to visiting an estate planning or elder law attorney. But is online estate planning worth the convenience and initial savings? How do the documents created compare to those that a qualified attorney would produce? To answer these questions, ElderLawAnswers asked two experienced estate planning and elder law attorneys to evaluate three leading online will preparation and estate planning programs: Nolo's Online Will, BuildaWill and LegalZoom. Their findings and ElderLawAnswers' conclusions are presented in a five-page White Paper that is available for free on ElderLawAnswers Web site. For the link to the White Paper follow the link below: http://www.elderlawanswers.com/Resources/Article.asp?ID=8129