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I’m delighted to have been asked to be the legal spokesperson on behalf of MyLegacy.ie for its Best Will Week which runs from Monday 31 October 2016 to Sunday 6 November 2016. Today An Tanaiste and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald, launched the...

Atul Gawande’s book Being Mortal is the most important and exciting book that I have read in a number of years. The author, an American doctor, examines how society – and in particular the medical establishment – view ageing and mortality. While initially it makes for sobering...

In the majority of cases of people who die every year, death is highly predictable. This means that there is plenty of time for medical professionals to talk to patients and their families about their wishes and hopes, and to make a plan. Unfortunately, according to a new report...

We wake again to the fallout from another distressing documentary from RTE’s Prime Time Investigating Team on the Aras Attracta home for people with intellectual disabilities in Mayo. What disgusting treatment was meted out to residents of Unit 3 of this ‘home’:...

Last week, following an excellent talk about the Irish property market given by Ronan Lyons, Chief Economist with Daft.ie, I had the opportunity to talk to a number of Googlers (Google employees) at their fantastic HQ in Dublin about what is involved when buying a property in...

I was delighted to be asked by Karl Schütte and Bernie Byrne of Home Instead Senior Care (Ballsbridge) to give a talk last week on the subject of dementia from a legal perspective to a group of healthcare professionals and carers. We had a lively discussion about the issues that...

A survey carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland showed that the vast majority of consumers who took place indicated that they would like calorie information displayed beside the price of food and drink items on menus. Research shows that, on the whole, people eat...

While traditionally sales of properties happen by private treaty (tender), an increase in the number of auctions now taking place is being reported in the newspapers. Allsop’s director of auctions, Robert Hoban, recently stated that while “a tender has been the method...

A comprehensive guide to help consumers to navigate their way in the Injuries Board system has been launched.  Make Your Claim was written by solicitor John McCarthy, in response to our current system for making a personal injuries claim via the Injuries Board. John, and many...

Anyone who has tried to sell or buy a property in recent years, where title to the property has to be registered in the Land Registry section of the Property Registration of Ireland, will be aware of the difficulties that are caused by an inaccurate map attaching to the title...

When you are attending a notary (by appointment please!), it is essential that you bring your passport and another proof of identification, such as a driver’s licence, or utility bill, which shows your address in Ireland. Essentially, when you attend a notary to have a docume...

The New Yorker cartoonist, Roz Chast, is the author of the graphic memoir “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?,” which will be published in May. It is a beautiful, sad and funny illustration of the issues facing adult children and elderly parents. When I read it...

I am delighted to have been invited as a speaker at the annual conference of the Society of Young Solicitors Ireland, being held this year in the Mount Wolseley Hotel in Tullow. Marie Fleming’s landmark challenge to Ireland’s absolute ban on assisted suicide caught...

The Over 50s Show is on us again! It seems like a week ago since the 2011 Show. We will be taking a stand at the Show – number 55 – on the right side of the main hall and we’d be delighted to answer any queries that you may have about Wills, Enduring Powers of...

The following letter was sent on behalf of the Older & Bolder alliance, of which Age & Opportunity is a member, to all Government TDs and Senators. Older & Bolder is calling on everyone who cares about this issue to contact their local public representatives. For more...

Journalist George Mobiot’s article in yesterday’s Guardian makes for interesting , if unsettling, reading about how diets that are high in sugar and fat may be linked to Alzheimer’s which some scientists are now re-naming Diabetes -Type 3:...

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is holding a free information evening on Wednesday 19 September next from 7 p.m. in the Davenport Hotel, Dublin 2, to celebrate World Alzheimer Day. All are welcome. For further information you can contact 01 207 3818 or check out its website...

Is it just me or has this summer been full of one story after another about abuse in nursing homes topped with news of health spending cuts that affect some of our most vulnerable citizens? Already Minister Reilly has (thankfully) done a U-turn on some of the proposed cuts. Of...

I was saddened to learn of the death of Nora Ephron, aged 71. Writer and producer of some great films and books, Nora was highly influential in Hollywood and her portraits of women and men are fresh, funny and multi-dimensional. I highly recommend her collection of essays –...

Esther Rantzen, who created ChildLine many years ago, has now launched Silver Line in the UK. It is a befriending service for older people, both by telephone and on line, which can be contacted for assistance with anything of troubling nature . It is expected to deal with diverse...

Ireland’s first Alzheimer’s cafe has just been launched. It is open on the second Thursday of every month in the Avila Centre, Bloomfield Avenue, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. It is aimed at sufferers, their families and health professionals and aims to provide a space for...

14 June 2012 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2012. The National Centre for the Protection of Older People, based in University College Dublin, held a conference to highlight the increasing reported incidents of elder abuse and to showcase its recent study entitled...

If you missed the address by Mr. Christy Lynch, Vice Chairperson of the Equality Authority at the ninth Say No To Ageism week last Tuesday, you can read it at SNTA 2012 – Speech by Christy Lynch.doc (size 33.8 KB). The Equality Authority is now focussing on the insurance...

I have just finished reading Nora Ephron’s very funny book of short essays on being a woman and facing up to the signs of aging as they become ever more visible. It deals with the trials and tribulations of maintenance – of appearance, not financial – menopause,...

Check out the article from the LA Times at http://soc.li/SdO1r5U

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is held in June each year, in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action which recognises the significance of elder abuse, a public health and human rights concern. The day serves as a call to action for individuals, organisations...

Is this not an absolutely basic requirement that we can expect for our older citizens? Nonetheless the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) found that this was a problem when it inspected Nazareth House in Buncrana, Co. Donegal in April. HIQA’s inspections were...

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Home Instead Senior Care has just launched its Handbook for 2012. It is available for free on the organisation’s website (www.homeinstead.ie) and it is a very useful publication containing valuable information, including advice on health and fitness, your allowances and...

I enjoyed presenting a talk last week to the Lucan branch of the ICA on the importance of making a Will and reviewing it periodically to ensure that it reflects your current circumstances and wishes. A very welcoming group of women with lots of questions… a sure sign of an...

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has an excellent checklist and list of useful questions to consider when deciding on the best nursing home for you or a loved one. I particularly like the reflective nature of the questions that HIQA suggests asking yourself...