Alive and Kicking: Legal Advice for Boomers

If you are getting older (or hope to), this book is for you. It will save you and your family money, restless nights, and heartbreak. Do I really need a living will? What are living trusts and should I attend a "free seminar'? How can I protect myself from scams and identity theft? How can I care for my aged parents? What are "assisted living facilities" and what about nursing homes? How can I recognize elder abuse and what about guns in the home? How can I fight age discrimination? What will be my insurance needs? What are reverse mortgages, Roth IRAs, durable powers of attorney, and disgruntled heirs? Will I have to give up both driving and sex? Need I worry about estate taxes? Should I avoid Probate? Most important, how can I get my family (and myself) to discuss the real problems that will face us? Here they come, ready or not.Not to worry. You don't have to read the entire book. What you need to know right now is in the first four chapters. The rest can wait. This is a serious book about serious times, but, if you're not up for an occasional joke, or poem, just put it back.

Kenney F. Hegland is the James E. Rogers Professor of Law at the University of Arizona College of Law.Robert Fleming is an elder law attorney with Fleming & Curti, PLC in Arizona.