It has now been more than ten years since I both began the study of elder law and also walked that particular journey with my own grandparents. In 2011, I moved home to Kansas Cityto start law school and once again attend Sunday family dinnerswhich now included my grandparents, Edwin and Marion McHugh, who had recently moved to an independent living community in Kansas City.
Before my second year of law school, Grandpa Edwin’s health rapidly declined. He passed away peacefully, after having said his goodbyes and charging all of us with the care of Grandma Marion. In fulfilling this charge, we quickly realized how much care he had provided for her, and that it would not be possible for her to live truly independently. When my classes resumed, our Sunday family dinners became takeout at Grandma’s so we could eat quickly and do things around her apartment for the week – laundry, fill pill boxes, and compare her weekly calendar with our schedules to make sure she would have the help she needed until we could figure the next steps.
I was enrolled in the class titled simply “Elder Law” and over the course of the semester, we learned about laws associated with aging and the end-of-life process, among other topics. I swear I did not give Grandma a syllabus, but she followed right along in experiencing many of the situations discussed in class. For example, Grandma fell and went to a care facility, and we needed advice as to how she would afford the level of care she now needed. My family hired an elder law attorney. Those legal services in action brought clarity and comfortto my family. I knew then that my career path was elder law. Grandpa Edwin’s compassion and patience and Grandma Marion’s difficulties have both guided me as I help families at this time of life.
I am eager to bring my nine years of experience in elder law and professional trust administration to Complete Estate & Probate Law. One of my goals remains to help my clients’ family dinners be more about enjoying each other and time together because there is clarity about the long-term care path.
Above is a photo of my family, including my husband, Michael, our 4-year-old daughter, Teagan and our 1-year-old son, Thomas. My son’s middle name is Edwin, and someday I will teach him all about his great-grandfather.
