Loneliness And Social Isolation Declared a Public Health Crisis

a blue wooden chess piece lies on its side amidst similar pieces that are standing up and a different colour

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy made headlines last week by declaring an “epidemic of loneliness.” He warned that loneliness is associated with “a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.” This statement is the first time a Surgeon General has used their national advocacy platform to raise loneliness to the same warning level as smoking, obesity, and the opioid crisis. Several commentators pointed out that….

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Elder Management, Smart Ageing

Analog Art, Analog Assets

For my last blog post, I discussed the potential financial value of an individual’s “personalty” and clauses in wills governing such personalty. While an individual’s more traditional assets may include bank accounts, real estate or vehicles, there may also be some other personal items (e.g. collections) that may have significant financial value for an estate. I’d like to discuss “physical” assets a bit more, this time focusing on assets they….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Uncategorized, valuation

In the matter of the Estate of John Ihnatowych, deceased

This Blog was written by Jane Martin, Scotia Wealth Management In the matter of the Estate of John Ihnatowych, deceased[i] In late March of this year, a decision of Justice A. Sanfilippo was released, rectifying the will of the late John Ihnatowych (the “Deceased”). The decision prompted me to consider how best to identify beneficiaries in a will – is it better to use class descriptions or to use specific names….

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Uncategorized

What Happens When One Joint Owner is in Debt?

While the right of survivorship is often thought of as the defining characteristic of joint tenancy, joint tenancy is also defined by “four unities.” Justice Perell succinctly defined the “four unities” in Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Company v Muir, 2011 ONSC 2273: A joint tenancy is distinguished by what are known as four unities: (1) unity of title, the co-owners take under the same instrument; (2) unity of interest, the….

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Appeals, Family Conflict, Joint Tenancy, Property, Real Estate, Spouse

The Bio-Psycho-Social Approach to Capacity Evaluation

Current approaches that define capacity in cognitive terms disregard concerns that emotional instability may disrupt capacity or that a person may be cognitively intact yet lack the capacity to give a valid consent. An alternative evaluative approach would be to view capacity holistically, as a combination of biological, psychological, and social (biopsychosocial) factors…..

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Capacity Law, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Litigation, Fiduciary Professions, Geriatric Care Management, Guardianship, Healthcare, Power of Attorney, Powers Of Attorney and Guardianship Disputes, Testamentary Capacity

May is National Caregiver Awareness Month

May is National Caregiver Awareness Month  and it is  celebrated across Canada to acknowledge the 8 million people providing (unpaid) care to a family member or  friend which is about 28% of the population. For employed Canadian’s, 35 % are working caregivers.   Studies tell us that on top  of a working week (37.5- 50 hours), women  are spending on average 13.8 hours per week providing care and men spending 10….

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Caregiving
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