Rocky Mountain Elder Law recently worked on a case where an elderly man with mild dementia was at risk of exploitation by those around him. An 89-year-old Colorado man (Tom) with mild dementia had a girlfriend in her 60s (Sally). She had a financial Power of Attorney giving her power over his finances. Together, they would regularly visit the various banks he had accounts with to withdraw his...
What is financial exploitation of an elderly person or elder financial abuse? According to the Department of Justice, financial or property exploitation means the illegal or improper use of an elderly or adult with a disability's money, property, or other resources for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain. This includes, but is not limited to, theft, misappropriation, concealment,...
Elder law is all about protection against financial exploitation. Everything I do, from estate planning to guardianships and conservatorships, helps protect a family’s legacy. People think they just need a will to take care of their assets after death, but that is just one part of a larger plan that can be critical in safeguarding a legacy both before and after death. I want to show how the...
Rocky Mountain Elder Law has been nominated for the Minority-owned / Women-owned Business of the Year category at the 2022 Celebrate Jeffco awards. The Celebrate Jeffco awards, by the West Metro Chamber, are dedicated to celebrating the businesses in the community that exemplify resilience and leadership. If you would like to attend the red-carpet award ceremony and gala on Friday, February 18th...
Estate plans are love letters to your nearest and dearest. Having an estate plan means that when you die, your family can grieve, free of the burden of challenging decisions. I believe that people are never too old and never too young to start an estate plan, but they might be too late. If you know that a loved one doesn’t have an estate plan in place and you think they should (and really,...
Please support our indigenous communities On August 3, 1990, President George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, also called National Native American Heritage Month. This month is close to my heart since my mother was Mescalero Apache and I have always treasured that heritage. Before law school, I graduated from Harvard University with a Masters...
Rocky Mountain Elder Law founder Kate Silburn was recently interviewed on Golden internet radio station The Cloud. She talked about the reason she went into law and her mission to help vulnerable people. You can listen to the podcast audio below.
Dementia, or the impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions is becoming common among older people. Although it is not a normal part of aging, we are seeing it with increasing frequency. According to the CDC, of those at least 65 years of age, there was an estimated 5.0 million adults with dementia in 2014 and number is projected to be nearly 14 million by 2060. It is imperative that...
On September 20th 2021, we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of our new offices in Lakewood. The West Metro Chamber kindly provided the ribbon and giant scissors. Thank you to everyone who made it a special occasion and gave Kate an opportunity to share her vision for the company with you all.
Native American rights are very close to my heart. My mother was a Mescalero Apache and I have strong ties to Native American tribes. This ruling is very important to me because it represents a fundamental shift in power on reservation lands. On June 1st, the US Supreme Court ruled that tribal police officers can temporarily detain and search non-Indians on public roads on tribal lands for...
