When I meet with clients who report they are not married and have no children, they qualify as people who are “solo aging.” An AARP survey of solo agers found that 77% reported that they had little or no planning for assistance as they age. These solo agers also rarely have any plan for care at their end-of-life. When you factor in that our country is facing a health care crisis and lack of caregivers, solo agers may want to learn about The Good Hearts Foundation.
The Good Hearts Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to ease the suffering of the dying and their families in Montgomery Country, Maryland. They provide end-of-life doula services & companions in individuals’ homes and provide training for their caregivers and volunteers. In addition, The Good Hearts Foundation’s goal is to establish multiple comfort care homes, so care can be given to their guests, who lack end-of-life caregiver support, including the underserved, disenfranchised, solo agers, or veterans-without regard to religion, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. By providing loving care, training, and community education, The Good Hearts Foundation aspire to contribute to a world where one can die with grace and dignity.
All these services are free of charge to guests due to the generosity and compassion of the community, friends, and neighbors. These homes are also funded through grants from public, private, and corporate organizations.
To learn more about the Good Hearts Foundation, go to http://thegoodhearts.org.
Amy Griboff is a Member in PK Law’s Wealth Preservation Group and has over 20 years of experience in estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning, and estate administration. Ms. Griboff focuses her estate planning services on what is best for her clients. She advises clients and their families on how to prepare for and pay for aging-in-place or downsizing to independent living, assisted living, or a nursing home. Based on the specific wishes and needs of her clients, she designs customized wills, trusts, health care powers of attorney, and financial powers of attorney and seeks guardianships in court when health care and financial decisions need to be made, but the necessary legal documents are not in place to designate someone to do so.
