Insights & Guidance for Planning Ahead

My journey into helping families with chronic illness took an unusual path. My grandmother was widowed in 1984. She was about 70 at the...

About three years ago, my father was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. I did not know much about the disease. I went to see him in Texas. I realized that the disease process had progressed to the point that he was tethered to an oxygen hose. Yet, he was still working. He was a real estate broker. He had his own office. He had done that since 1963. He lived in a small town, and he was just one of a handful of brokers for the whole town. Everyone knew him. Hauling a

Why are Life Care Planning Law Firms an essential part of any dementia caregiver's toolkit? If you’re caring for an elderly loved one with dementia, you already know that it takes a special person and a unique set of skills to make life comfortable for a person living with the disease. When it comes to caring for your loved one without sacrificing your own well-being in the process, having the right systems and support in place can make all the difference. Many dementia care

I grew up in Texas until my parents were divorced when I was in the fourth grade. A couple of years later, I moved to Kansas with my sister, mom and step-father. From that point forward, with the exception of four years of college, my life has been in Kansas. My father continued to live on the coast of Texas. Because of the move and the distance, as well as all of the things that kids get into as they grow older (such as work, school activities, and the like), our time to

http://www.hutchnews.com/news/20180603/business-people HAYS – Randy Clinkscales with Clinkscales Elder Law Practice recently spoke to the Kansas Chapter of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys in Olathe. The title of his presentation was “Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Until He Needed Long-Term Care: Planning for the Rural Medicaid Client.” The discussion centered on what happens to a farm when a person needs long-term care; how to preserve the farm; how to protect th

I really enjoy Colorado. I have for years. When I was a kid, every few years we would travel to Colorado and drive its beautiful roads that twist and wind. As an adult, my wife’s parents created a tradition of an annual family trip to Colorado over a long weekend, a tradition that we continue though both of her parents are gone. I am not sure exactly what all attracts me to Colorado. I am sure it is the mountains, the fresh air, and the relief from the summer heat. But

The month of May has been designated as National Elder Law Month by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). Formed in 1987, NAELA is dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to people as they age and for people with special needs. Its membership is comprised of elder law attorneys. What makes elder law attorneys different? What is the difference in elder law and estate planning? Maybe the first question is to ask what is a senior? I sup

When my kids were young, they fell in love with soccer. I was “forced” into coaching, when one of their coaches, an employee of Midwest Energy, was called out of town for an extended period of time because of damaged powerlines related to a tornado. A new coach was needed. Soccer was a new sport in western Kansas, at least at the competitive level. In Hays, it was comprised of only one or two teams. To play other teams meant participating in tournaments, which required d

About 16 years ago, my wife and I inherited a Labrador Retriever named Star. Star actually belonged to a friend of my oldest son. The friend ran into some troubles, and we ended up inheriting Star. Star was just a pup. However, at a very young age she ended up running down the street and mating with another Lab. My wife was so frustrated. We had no business raising Labs. Star gave birth to seven Labradors, all blonde. They could not have been cuter. Initially, we kep

My wife (Barbara) comes from a good Mennonite background, inheriting by blood or tradition many of the attributes of those raised in the simple lifestyle of Mennonites. In addition to frugality, those attributed include cooking and preserving whatever nature gives you at the moment. We moved to Hays, Kansas in 1983. I was a young lawyer, trying to find my footing (and clients) in a new town. A year after our move, we started having children, pulling my wife from the workforc