With Your Family in Mind

Have you ever thought of becoming a foster parent or wanted to adopt a child in need of permanency?  Koinonia Family Services is now serving the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys, and is looking for families who want to provide safe, caring, and nurturing homes for children who are in need of short-term or long-term placement. Children in need of placement range from newborns to 18-year-olds.

The revocable living trust is designed to achieve two important goals: avoiding probate and (for some married couples) avoiding Federal Estate Tax.
Many people ask their attorneys whether placing their assets in such a trust will protect those assets from creditors. The answer is, not absolutely, but maybe – at least temporarily.

Finally, fall has arrived!  Is there anything more beautiful than driving down Wiley Canyon and seeing the deep, lush leaves changing colors?  Or going to the store and seeing pumpkins – all shapes and sizes – just waiting to go home with you?  Of course, my all time favorite is a pumpkin latte from one of our many purveyors of coffee! 

Seniors who have chronic illnesses and disabilities can now get Medicare coverage for skilled nursing and therapy services.....even if those services will simply maintain the person’s present health status and are not likely to improve their condition.  This is very important news for people who have diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, arthritis or the effects of a stroke, among other conditions.

It’s never easy being a parent. We constantly struggle, wondering if we’re doing the best we can for our kids. It’s so much pressure knowing that you only get a short window of time to prepare them to become responsible, healthy, and emotionally balanced adults. For some divorced parents, there is an extra challenge of being geographically distant from their children.

“Individually we are one drop.  Together we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro
Divorce is an emotional process.  Getting divorced is a legal one.  Some might see the Judge’s decision as the end of the process.  But in many ways it is the beginning.  The court’s judgment can influence the divided family for years.  Responsibilities for children or the financial well-being of the former couple are linked by obligations flowing from the divorce decree.

If you are one of the many family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, it can be very rewarding, but at times also be very frustrating.  It is so important that you not only provide care for your loved one, but that you also take proper care and time for yourself.  You may come to a point where it may be necessary to reach out to others for support. 

The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley is proud to present Staci Alziebler-Perkins, Human Rights and Grants expert and United Nations Representative, who will talk about “Women’s Issues & Advocacy about Gender Equality on the World Stage: United Nations Post 2015 Development Goals” on October 8, 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 27710 The Old Road in Valencia.

Seniors continue to be a rapidly increasing segment of the population targeted by con artists. In fact, financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they are now considered to be “the crime of the 21st century.” And, over 90% of all reported abuse of seniors is committed by someone in their own family. Shockingly, financial abuse such as depleting joint checking accounts, promising but not delivering care in exchange for money or property, and even outright theft is most often committed by the senior’s own adult children, followed by grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and others.

1. Improve your Credit Score
If you’ve had trouble paying on time, missed mortgage payments, have a BK or even a foreclosure, don’t fret - banks are still willing to you lend you money! Easy tip? Pay credit cards down to 30 percent of their limit - this can boost your score very quickly. (Within 30 days) A better credit score means a better rate and a lower payment.

In long-term marriages, unless the parties agree otherwise, the court retains jurisdiction over the issue of spousal support. In most cases, by the time retirement comes around, there is a fixed amount of support ordered. Seldom do we see a clause in a dissolution judgment that steps down or terminates spousal support upon retirement.

Seniors are living longer with chronic diseases, dementia, diabetes, and the effects of stroke.  Unfortunately, many are unable to pay for their needed care on a long-term basis.  If nursing home care is required, many seniors simply do not know their options.  They use all their savings to pay for that care – at a cost of over $7,500 per month. 

Thank you Santa Clarita, for the 6th year in a row, voting Comfort Keepers In-Home Care as the winner of the annual “Best of” in Santa Clarita in the category of Senior Care.  Your trust in allowing us to care for your aging loved ones in their homes for the last 13 years is not a privilege we take lightly. 

Our teeth deal with a lot when we’re out and about. Basketball games, pie-eating contests, rogue popcorn kernels… it’s a rough life. Usually our teeth are strong enough (or we’re lucky enough) to not suffer any major problems.
However, accidents happen. And fortune favors the prepared, so here are five items that are good to have on hand in case of dental emergencies. Keep them in a little “dental emergency kit” that you can easily access at home, or take with you in the car and while you travel:

Gardening has many health and therapeutic benefits for older people, especially when you create an edible garden.  September marks the beginning of the fall planting season for those of us living in warm climates!
Seniors can get particular benefit because gardening:

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s needs your help!  We are looking for people to start or join a walk team to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association.  This is a very important cause as Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the US and providing care for a person with Alzheimer’s is very expensive.

As summer winds down and the school year begins, newly separated families often worry about the impact on children who are going back to school for the first time after parents separate.  How will they do?  What will they say?  Will teachers, staff and other students notice, bring up or tend to the changes in your child’s family situation?  These are common worries and fears couples bring to mediation. 

Family Law, Section 1100, has always come as a bit of a surprise to some seeking to have their marriages dissolved. In particular, subsection (e):
“Each spouse shall act with respect to the other spouse in the management and control of the community assets and liabilities in accordance with the general rules governing fiduciary relationships which control the actions of persons having relationships of personal confidence as specified in Section 721, until such time as the assets and liabilities have been divided by the parties”. Section 721(b) “... The confidential relationship imposes a duty of the highest good faith and fair dealing on each spouse, and neither shall take any unfair advantage of the other.”