How to Find the Right Pre-paid Burial or Funeral Plan

How to Find the Right Pre-paid Burial or Funeral Plan

Posted using ShareThis

The Colorado Estate Planner Gets Added to the ABA Journal Blawg Directory

The ABA Journal Blawg Directory recently added The Colorado Estate Planner to its directory.  To see visit http://www.abajournal.com/blawg/The_Colorado_Estate_Planner
The most important part of this achievement for the blog and/or blawg is in conveying this:

Blawg Search: We've [ABA Journal] partnered with Justia.com, the leading legal information portal, to create a search engine covering all of the 2,600-plus blogs in our directory -- including yours. It's like Google for lawyers, pinpointing in an instant the most sophisticated and up-to-date commentary by legal professionals on any topic. Use the search box at the top of any of our pages (including our homepage: http://www.abajournal.com/), and on the search results page click on the "Blawg Results" tab. Plus you can subscribe to an RSS feed of any search to follow the results in your feed reader.

Thank you for visiting and reading as well as all of your support. A special thanks also goes out to The ABA Journal.

Mortgage Traps: Take Caution of Reverse Mortgage 'Specialists'

Mortgage Traps: Take Caution of Reverse Mortgage 'Specialists'

Posted using ShareThis

Vitamins and Mineral Supplements Are Important for Older People

Research has discovered that as we age, our diets and our need for dietary supplements change. Doctors are increasingly concerned about boosting the levels of vitamins and minerals that we need as we grow older.

As most people get older, they tend to eat less due to a loss of appetite. As a result, many elderly individuals do not take in adequate amounts of vitamins and other nutrients as they did when they were younger. Other factors that can affect appetite and the inadequate uptake of vital nutrients are medications, medical complications, certain disabilities, diabetes, changes in the digestive system and even the changes in our skin as we age. One study estimates that one-third of the elderly are alarmingly low on important vitamins and minerals. Another study indicates that two thirds of the elderly patients admitted to a hospital are mal-nourished, resulting in low levels of vital nutrients. When a person is vitamin and mineral deficient, he or she is more susceptible to illness and infections. It is estimated that deaths due to infections are ten times more likely in the elderly.

Vitamins

So what is a vitamin and why is it so essential to our bodies? A vitamin is a molecule that our bodies needs to carry out certain biological functions. With only a few exceptions, the body has no way to create vitamin molecules itself, so these vital building blocks must come in through food that we eat. The human body is known to need at least 13 different vitamins. We are able to store some of these for long periods of time in fat cells or in the liver -- such as vitamin A -- but most vitamins need to be replenished frequently.

Vitamins don't supply us with energy. We need protein, carbohydrates, and fats for that. What vitamins do is to help the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins release energy. These vital compounds are very important and they are required for all sorts of complex chemical reactions in our bodies. Vitamins are also needed to assist the enzymes that repair tissue and help with the production of cells. Many studies show that vitamins and minerals can help or prevent some of the disorders or diseases related to aging.

There are two types of vitamins -- water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins are not stored in our bodies. They pass through our bodies quickly. In order to keep these nutrients in our bodies we have to consume them frequently. Water soluble vitamins contribute to our health, energy and stamina. This type of vitamin also helps in the function of over one hundred enzymes and chemical reactions that give our bodies energy. Listed below are some of the well known water soluble vitamins and their benefits.

•Vitamin B5 – good for reducing swelling

•Vitamin B3 – reduces tissue swelling and helps increase blood flow.

•Vitamin B6 – also reduces swelling. When combined with vitamin B12 in proper concentration has shown to reduce heart disease.

•Vitamin B12 – This is the most vital of the B's. It aids in the formation of cells, myelin production, healthy nerves, and maintaining immune system and mental function.

•Vitamin C – Vitamin C helps in the formation of cartilage and bone. Some studies have shown it may reduce the progression of osteoarthritis.

Fat soluble vitamins are vitamins that stay in the body and are typically stored in the liver. You can usually receive enough of these compounds by eating a well balanced diet. Any condition that can interfere with the absorption of fat in the body like tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, hypothyroidism, lactose intolerance, and many other diseases or disorders can cause deficiencies in these vitamins. Before taking the daily recommended dose of fat soluble vitamins you must consult your doctor. Overdosage of these substances can cause a toxic build-up in your body. Listed below are the major fat soluble vitamins.

•Vitamin A – Lungs, throat and mouth depend on vitamin A to retain moisture. This compound is also important for your skin, bones, teeth, digestive system, urinary tract, eyes and aids in preventing skin disorders like acne, boils, and bumpy skin. Some studies show that it may aid in slowing the aging process.

•Vitamin K – plays an important role in the clotting of blood. Research has linked vitamin K to bone health.

•Vitamin D – is produced in the skin by exposure to the sun. Deficiencies mostly occur in people living in northern latitudes where daylight is brief during winter months. Changes in skin as we age can also cause poor production of vitamin D. Studies show that osteoporosis might progress faster in women with low levels of vitamin D. This compound is essential in helping the body absorb make that lowercase and maintaining strong bones.

Minerals

Unlike vitamins, minerals are not manufactured by plants or animals. Minerals form in the earth, and are absorbed by plants and found in animals that eat the plants. Listed below are some of the essential minerals needed to maintain a healthy body.

Iron – helps carry oxygen throughout the body. Iron also helps the immune system ward off foreign entities.

Calcium – Most women as they get older need calcium supplements to prevent bone loss that causes osteoporosis. Calcium supplements will not do you any good if you do not have the right levels of vitamin D. your body cannot absorb calcium without vitamin D.

Zinc – Zinc deficiencies can affect skin, nerves, and the body’s immune system.

It is important that you take vitamin and mineral supplements with food. Fat soluble vitamins require fat ingestion to result in the best absorption. It is best to take your supplements at the biggest meal of the day.

We use vitamins every day to support the processes our bodies use to maintain life. Ongoing reduced levels of vitamins can make you weak and more vulnerable to disease. Proper nutrition with vitamins and minerals is vital for seniors to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Other health issues related to aging are discussed on the National Care Planning Council website at http://www.longtermcarelink.net./

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading.

Checklist for Marketing Your Elder Law Practice

Basic Components of a Marketing Plan



□ Firm Website: Have you recently established a brand new law elder law firm? A handsome, professional-looking website is every bit as vital today as a telephone listing. Enlist the services of a website designer with vast experience in creating websites for lawyers.


□ Advertising: While most practitioners report mixed success with TV and radio advertising (which can be pricey, too), the use of traditional:


(1) Yellow Pages (both print and online) is highly recommended.

(2) Weekly church and synagogue “bulletins” – those fliers distributed at weekly religious services loaded with congregational news and ads from local businesses.

(3) Local community papers – typical they come out weekly and ad space is pretty cheap.

(4) Remember: advertising is successful only if it is sustained, repetitive and consistent over time.


□ Lawyers.com: A free website designed for non-lawyers to help them locate attorneys in their locality who specialize in a host of practice areas, Lawyers.com reached its 2 millionth visitor in 2009.


□ Community Seminars: There is no substitute for visibility in one's community. With the exception of America’s smallest towns, just about every municipality has one or more social organization(s) catering to senior citizens, with names like the “Golden Agers”. In mid-sized or larger towns, the municipal government likely has a senior center where weekly meetings are held, or at least a city agency dedicated to the needs of seniors. Get in touch with them and find out about these meetings:

o Get yourself invited to a meeting.

o Important: Tell the club’s president that you’ll be supplying free refreshments for the meeting – platters of cookies or boxes of donuts, plus coffee, tea and soft drinks.

o Offer a special 15% discount to those who mention this meeting when they visit your office.

o Note: In recent years, speaking before such groups has become an increasingly competitive activity, with some national organizations even providing model advertisements, scripted seminars and pre-packaged documents so that any attorney can be an instant "elder law expert."

o Finally, a sustained schedule of community seminars is essential if success is to be achieved. So, be aggressive: at least once each month, schedule an appearance in a different town or community.



□ Informational Handouts: On topics such as Medicaid and asset preservation, revocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, estate tax planning, etc., these handouts are a low-cost investment with potentially significant returns. Pass them out at the community seminars (above). Also, attach them to your website in a PDF or Word document.



□ Firm Newsletter: Maintaining contact with your client community is necessary if referrals and return business are expected. Desktop publishing software allows any office to publish a presentable, professional-looking newsletter. Practitioners are urged to author their own newsletter in their own style, rather than rely on generic articles from national publishers. A state-specific and more local focus is essential. Again remember to post this newsletter to your firm’s website so that non-clients who visit may access the newsletters for free.



□ Offer to Author Articles: Most professional publications are in need of high-quality, well-researched articles. Do not hesitate to contact such journals and offer to author articles. When done, make multiple reprints for distribution to existing and professional clients, as well as referral sources.



□ Submit Short Articles or Blog Entries to Leading Websites: For example, this website, The Estate Practice & Elder Law Center, gladly accepts blog entries and even full-blown articles from lawyers, certified estate planners and investment advisors and similar professionals. There are two blogs – one on “Estate Planning & Probate” and another on “Elder Law”. In August alone, this website drew 2,594 separate visits. For those wishing to submit blog entries or articles, just email them to Raymond.p.camiscioli@lexisnexis.com



□ Use of Audio- or Videotapes: Some practitioners make audio- or videotapes for free distribution to existing and potential clients. Again, these can be incorporated into the firm’s website, too. The success of such marketing tools will depend on the ability of the practitioner to convey information in an understandable, comfortable manner. Not all practitioners are blessed with this ability.



□ Establish Referral Sources: There are many professionals who need attorneys to whom they can refer clients. These include accountants, geriatric care managers, social workers, and professionals in hospitals and other medical institutions, and insurance professionals. Let’s face it: the establishment of such a referral network will consume years of relationship-building efforts and cannot be rushed.


□ Reward Referral Sources: Every referral should be acknowledged. While words (a telephone call, an e-mail, a letter) are adequate, consider tangible rewards such as chocolate, flowers, a gift basket or gift certificate. Referral fees may be appropriate, taking care to comply with applicable rules and limitations.


□ Offer Free Visits to Home, Hospital, Nursing Home and Similar Facilities: Physicians abhor home visits, and older patients long for the "good old days" when one's doctor made house calls. Offering home, hospital and nursing home visits will both attract business and present the proper image of an elder law attorney who cares about his clients as human beings. Merely offering such services, in other words, can be remarkably helpful in building a successful practice.


□ Become Involved with Professional and Community Organizations. Serving as chair, vice-chair or a member of the elder law committee of the state bar association, or on the board of directors of a non-profit organization serving the elderly, creates the opportunity to educate the professional legal community or the local “lay” community about a practitioner's areas of expertise. As important, it is a means of "giving back'' to a community. Examples include the local Alzheimer's Association and organizations that address the needs of disabled adults.

Attorneys Who Protect Our Most Vulnerable

Attorneys Who Protect Our Most Vulnerable

Posted using ShareThis