Can the Nursing Home Refuse to Allow Me to Talk to My Grandmother?

While the coronavirus pandemic has curtailed access to residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, it should not prevent any contact. Legally, your grandmother should have the right to determine who she contacts and communicates with. If she is not...

The Ins and Outs of Guardianship and Conservatorship

Every adult is assumed to be capable of making his or her own decisions unless a court determines otherwise. If an adult becomes incapable of making responsible decisions, the court will appoint a substitute decision maker, usually called a “guardian,” but...

Medicare May Not Cover the Coronavirus Vaccine After All

While Medicare would cover a coronavirus vaccine approved through normal channels, if the Food and Drug Administration approves the vaccine through an emergency use authorization (EUA), Medicare will not cover it unless the government acts. As we previously reported,...

Can a Nursing Home Require Us to Obtain Guardianship of Our Mother?

No, there is no requirement that anyone take on the role of guardian. However, with no one available to make decisions for your mother, the nursing home may decide it has to seek guardianship on its own, in which case the court would appoint an independent person with...

Will Electronic Wills Be the New Normal?

More and more transactions are done digitally, but estate planning has lagged behind technology. That may be changing, though. Even before the coronavirus pandemic made social distancing necessary, electronic wills were gaining legitimacy. An electronic will (or...