November was designated as National Long-Term Care Awareness Month by the American Association for Long-Term Care Assistance (ALTCP) in 2001. Their purpose is to create awareness of nursing homes in the area and provide information to the elderly so that they might explore this choice once they reach the age of 65. As no one is getting any younger, it is clearly important to have a plan ready for the nearing future.
 
Long-Term Care Awareness Month is all about planning ahead, having a strategy, and alleviating some of the burden placed on family members. Long-term care is a family affair, as the majority of caregivers are family members. Providing long-term care services for a loved one is expensive, stressful, and emotional.
 
As we approach the beginning of the holiday season, families will be gathering and sitting around tables, reminiscing and discussing future plans. While not everyone will need LTC insurance, we know everyone needs a plan.
 
Some facts and figures: 

• 70% of men and women over the age of 65 will need some kind of long-term care services.
• 14 million Americans currently require LTC support services.
• 27 million Americans will require these same support services by 2050.

                                            -American Association for Long Term Care Insurance (AALTCI)
 

The goal of the ALTCP is to raise awareness to help Americans realize the importance of planning for long term care early since it is common to lack a sense of urgency in planning for their future care needs. ALTCP also wishes to instill the necessity of preparing for long-term care considering that it is very costly. This is the best time of year to reach out to your loved ones who may be putting off long term care planning and, in the process, placing their savings and families at risk.
 
Use #LongTermCareAwarenessMonth to post on social media to raise awareness about long-term care and acknowledge anyone you know that is or has been a caregiver. The more we understand the emotional, physical, and economic toll that long-term care can take on loved ones, the more we can prepare for our own futures, so we don’t become a burden to the people we love the most.
 
For further reading:  November is Long Term Care Awareness Month: 50 Long Term Care Statistics Everyone Should Know (2018) | ALTCP.org
 
If you would like more information about this topic, please call the office at (540) 962-6181 to schedule an appointment with Jeanne Hepler. Ms. Hepler is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and has been named one of Virginia's "Go To" Lawyers for Elder Law by the Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2021.   

The recent study was conducted by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, in collaboration with the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA).  This study was different because it targeted patients with dementia and their caregivers, said lead study author Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour.  Most prior studies using music for dementia patients have focused only on the patients. 

“Patients were able to connect with partners through music, a connection that was not available to them verbally,” said Bonakdarpour, an associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine neurologist. “The family and friends of people with dementia also are affected by it. It’s painful for them when they can’t connect with a loved one. When language is no longer possible, music gives them a bridge to each other.”

The study was published Aug. 25 in Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders.

Musical memory, processing not as affected by Alzheimer’s

Music memories often remain in the brain even as language and other memories disappear in dementia, Bonakdarpour said. This is because regions of the brain that are involved in musical memory and processing (e.g., the cerebellum) are not as affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia until much later in the disease course. Thus, patients can retain the ability to dance and sing long after their ability to talk has diminished. 
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According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease. 
 

​ You heard that right!
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On August 16, 2022, in an effort to make them more affordable and available to more Americans, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized a ruling that will allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter without a prescription to adults.  Wow, it is a long-sought wish come true for people frustrated by expensive exams and devices!

Around 37.5 million American adults have some trouble hearing, according to the National Institutes of Health. But the FDA estimates that only one-fifth of people who could potentially benefit from a hearing aid use one, per the AP.  The high cost of hearing aids, which are not covered by basic Medicare, has prevented millions of Americans from buying them. Under the FDA’s new rule, people with mild to moderate hearing loss should be able to buy hearing aids online and in retail stores as soon as October, without being required to see a doctor for an exam to get a prescription.  “The requirement to see a specialist was not only a burden and an annoyance for many consumers but it actually created a competitive barrier to entry,” Brian Deese, a White House economics adviser, tells the AP.  By eliminating the requirement for an examination and prescription, federal officials estimate the ruling could save people $2,800 on a pair of hearing aids, writes the New York Times’ Christina Jewett.
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This could mean a reduction in having to say “Could you repeat that?”

​Alleghany-Bath Highland Bar Association (ABH Bar) will host a Senior Law Day on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, from 10am to 2:45pm at the Mountain Gateway Community College (the former Dabney S. Lancaster Community College) in Clifton Forge, Virginia.  The event is free to the public, including a free lunch provided by Cucci’s Pizzeria for all registered attendees. 

Senior Law Day has been held annually in the community for over ten years.  This informative program has been organized to provide valuable legal knowledge to seniors and their families.  In just a few hours, attendees will receive free, trustworthy and useful information and gain access to resources on a wide range of issues that are important to seniors but often difficult to address. 

Topics include:  Estate Planning, Guardianships, Role of Commissioner of Accounts in Estates and Guardianships Grandparents’ Rights, Scams, Medicare and Social Security, Veterans’ Rights, Nursing Home Issues, Paying for Long Term Care, and Funeral Planning. 

Attorney Jeanne M. Hepler of Collins & Hepler, PLC will be one of the presenters at this event. 

Additionally, Lewis Gale Hospital – Alleghany will provide free blood pressure and glucose screenings!
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For more information, or to register, please call the law office of William T. Wilson at 540-962-7551.   

We hope you have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!  As a reminder, our offices will be closed on Monday, May 30, 2022.  We will be available on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in the unfortunate event that you need our help with holiday-related traffic incidents.  This holiday weekend typically experiences more drivers on the road, which can lead to more traffic issues.  Police also tend to increase patrols during this time.  Be careful, relax, take your time, and enjoy the scenery of the uniquely Alleghany Highlands!

Mark your calendar for May 7, 2022!  The tour, entitled “STILL STANDING: Brownsburg’s Slave Houses,” will feature five sites in the Brownsburg, Virginia area.  Each site will have docents who will speak to visitors about the architecture of the slave houses as well as the people who lived there.  Collins & Hepler’s very own Jeanne Hepler will be there acting as a docent to answer questions for the visitors at the Oakbourne building. 
The tour will begin starting at 10:00am at the Brownsburg Museum, 2716 Brownsburg Tpke, Brownsburg, VA 24415, where visitors will pick up an information brochure with a map to the various sites.  The hours of the tour are from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Visitors will be able to learn more about the enslaved people’s lives and their contributions to the community. The tour has received acclaim by several state-wide organizations as well as area historical societies.  Slave houses can be toured for free thanks to area sponsors, including Collins & Hepler, PLC.

What is a Power of Attorney?

It is a legal document that designates an individual to make decisions on your behalf in case you cannot make choices for yourself. The individual is your personal agent: someone who acts in your best interests if you are unable to for whatever reason. A Power of Attorney gives your agent certain abilities, like handling your finances, filing your taxes, or making medical decisions for you.

That sounds like a lot of power. When would I need a Power of Attorney?

There are different powers of attorneys for different circumstances and for different lengths of time. You could need a power of attorney if you decide to live overseas for a few years, if you become incarcerated, if you fall into a coma, if you become affected by dementia, or a host of other financial or healthcare-related reasons. A Power of Attorney generally comes into play when you become incapacitated.
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Okay, that could be helpful. Why do I need a Power of Attorney?

Everyone should establish a power of attorney. Anyone can become incapacitated at any time, but it is especially important for seniors to set up a power of attorney before they become physically or mentally incapacitated. That way, you can ensure that someone will get your estate and your affairs in order. Otherwise, if you become incapacitated without a POA in place, then no one can handle your affairs until someone pays a lawyer to go to court and be appointed your guardian and conservator. So not only do you risk leaving your affairs in limbo, but you also risk not being able to choose the person who handles those affairs.


A Power of Attorney is very valuable because it appoints a spouse, child, loved one, attorney, or friend to can handle your estate, health, and finances if you become unable to do so yourself, rather than wait for the worst to happen without having a plan in place.

yThe Virginia DMV uses a demerit system to keep track of your driving record. For each year you go without getting a ticket or driving infraction, you earn a point, and with each traffic violation, you lose points, i.e. gain demerits.

The points appear on your personal record to indicate whether you are a good or bad driver. For example, a perfect record has +5 points. The good or bad points don’t influence your car insurance, but they will influence how police officers and judges deal with you, which matters when faced with traffic fines. The more demerits you have, the more likely you are considered a bad driver, and the more likely you are to be convicted of a traffic violation, which in turn earns you more demerits.

And so the cycle goes on.


Here are some examples of traffic violations you should know and how many demerit points each is worth:

Three-point violations:

• Driving 1 to 9 mph above the posted speed limit
• Improper stopping on the highway
• Making an improper u-turn
• Turning left at a red light
• Driving while using a handheld cellphone device

Four-point violations:

• Driving more than 10 mph above the speed limit
• Aggressive driving
• Following another car too closely
• Passing a care when unsafe
• Driving the wrong way down a one-way street

Six-point violations (these can stay on your personal record for up to 11 years and you can even face prison time)

• Driving more than 20 mph above the speed limit
• Driving while intoxicated
• Driving on a suspended license
• Operating an unsafe vehicle
• Passing a school bus
• Driving while consuming alcohol under the age of 21

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If you accrue too many demerit points, or if you have too many traffic violations in a short amount of time, you can be put on probation and your license can be suspended. Traffic violations and demerit points stay on your personal record for a number of years, so it is very important to be a safe driver, know the law, and understand how the system operates.

If you are pulled over and given a ticket for a traffic violation, contact a traffic attorney immediately. An experienced attorney can help you dismiss or amend your charge, so that you won’t risk having demerits that can affect your driving record for years to come.

​Independent Living homes are also known as group homes, retirement communities, or residential facilities. These are small, private facilities that house roughly 20 residents or less who live in private or shared rooms. Residents receive personal care, meals, and access to staff, but nursing and medical care are not provided on-site.

​These facilities can house from 25 residents to over 100, and residents have their own apartments and share common areas. In addition to meals, housekeeping, laundry, 24 hour supervision, and social and recreational activities, the facilities also provide different levels of care, including aid in personal care and medication.

​Skilled Nursing Facilities are similar to assisted living facilities, but they generally have the most focus on medical care. They additionally provide supervision and security, as well as assistance with everyday activities and physical, occupational, or speech therapy services.

​CCRCs are communities that offer different levels of service or care in one spread-out location, where independent housing, assisted living, and skilled nursing are all offered. Where you live depends on the level of service you need, and various healthcare services and recreation programs are also provided.

Read the full interview here.