MARTHA JO PATTERSON FOR ELDER LAW IN LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTIES

Update January 15, 2012  Attorney Martha Jo Patterson specializes in elder law and legal issues facing the disabled of any age.  She is a certified elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation and has offices in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.  For information call (855) ELDER-77 or 855-353-3777 or www.ElderLawMom.com which is her office website.

Martha Jo Patterson is keenly aware of some of the benefit programs for elder and disabled veterans that are not actively promoted by the Veterans Administration.  Because these veterans programs are not actively promoted by the VA or advertised in the media many veterans do not take advantage of these benefits.  It's as if these veteran's benefits are being kept secret.  Some of these veterans programs have restrictions because of income and wealth, but attorney Martha Jo Patterson knows how to properly structure the assets of a veteran so that they can participate in these benefit programs.  Some of these benefit programs can pay around $2,000 a month for care and these are tax free benefits.  You do not need service connected injuries to qualify for these benefits.  Our Best Buys TV Show report is below.

LOCKINGTON LAW GROUP AND ELDER LAW

Update September 22, 2011  We are an older society and an older nation and so there is more elder abuse and the need for elder law and lawyers who provide services to protect and help seniors.  It's hard to believe that too many times our parents and our grandparents are not treated with respect in their senior years and can become victims of elder abuse.  Those of us who care for our parents now-- the so-called sandwich generation because we also have children of our own-- also fear that someday we could also fall victim to elder abuse.

So what is elder abuse that requires lawyers to specialize in elder law?  Well, elder abuse can be found anywhere our seniors are in the hands of others for care and this can include nursing homes or even in their own homes when someone is employed to care for them.  There can be physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and even abandonment.  Mary Lockington of The Lockington Law Group in Long Beach, California, is an attorney who specializes in elder law and she told me that she has had cases where nursing homes have failed in their care to such a degree that patients become ill and die prematurely or are even allowed to leave the property.  Other nursing homes might overmedicate residents rather than provide the care that families pay for.

There is also financial crimes that are part of elder abuse.  Caregivers can trick the elderly to sign away their homes and assets and bank accounts.  Caregivers who get access to an elder's bank account have been known to loot the account.  Investment advisors can give misleading information and churn the accounts which means make multiple trades for the purpose of generating commissions.  Investment advisors might also sell inappropriate investments to elders also to generate commissions.

How do you stop elder abuse?  We probably can't stop it, but we can be vigilant to try to end it early.  This means checking up on our seniors and their caregivers, monitoring bank accounts and financial records and being alert to signs that something might be wrong with grandma and grandpa.

The Lockington Law Group offers a free consultation about ways it can help monitor and act on cases of elder abuse and what legal remedies there are.  Call The Lockington Law Group at 855-LOCK-LAW or 855-562-5529 or go to www.lockingtonlawgroup.com for information.

Our TV report is below.