JUNE 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 75
FAKE NEWS...
FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM?
By JUNGLE BOB
Some animals conjure up negative
emotions at the mere mention of
their name. They are victims. That
old Jim Stafford song “I don’t like
spiders and snakes” was a hit for a
reason!
These adverse feelings are mostly
derived from fake news, reinforced
in literature and media. Snakes and
spiders are just unloved it seems,
while other creatures, such as frogs,
are universally liked. Why?
Poison dart frogs: Cute but deadly.
Many grew up watching a frog on
frogs are often upbeat and seem to
a single gulp. As a rule, they do
Sesame Street playing the banjo and
end on a happy note.
not feed on just flies or shoot their
singing to a pig, lamenting how hard
tongues 10 feet in the air. Although
it is to be green. Children’s books
Frogs must have a great PR
I’ve never personally kissed one,
show frogs sitting happily on a lily
department, because the truth is,
I wouldn’t expect much magic to
pad, smiling or lazily eating flies
they are not so innocent. Frogs
happen if I did.
out of the air with their tongues.
are actually predators! They have
Then there are fables about frogs
teeth and will hunt and eat almost
Some frogs, like the poison dart
becoming handsome princes from a
anything they can fit into their
frogs from South America, release
princess’ magical kiss. Stories about
mouths, often swallowing prey with
toxins through their skin which, if
ingested, cause sickness or death.
How nice! These brightly colored
“jewels of the rainforest” have long
been utilized by native peoples who
rub their wooden arrows or darts on
the skin of the frog, turning their
missiles into deadly weapons. Isn’t
that cute?
These poisons aren’t natural to the
frogs. They’re “manufactured” by the
frog only after a series of food chain
events involving fungus, ants and
plants. That is, it’s not the frogs’ fault.
Still, they get positive press. In
captivity, they produce no toxins,
as their food is from farm-produced
insects. Somehow these frogs
are among the most popular of
terrarium subjects. Animated and
bold, they quickly win over the
hearts of their keepers, even with
the “poison” moniker.
That frog’s spin doctors deserve a raise!
sponsored
UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMER’S AND BEING PREPARED
By Ronald Fatoullah, Esq.
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month.
Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the
United States according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Today, approximately 5.7 million Americans are living
with Alzheimer’s, and someone in the U.S. is diagnosed
with the disease every 65 seconds (https://www.alz.
org/alzheimers_disease). Although the majority of
people with Alzheimer’s are 65 or older, approximately
200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have early-onset
Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia, but unlike other
forms of dementia wherein symptoms gradually worsen
over time, it is a progressive disease, and those with
Alzheimer’s live only an average of eight years after
their symptoms become noticeable to others. Early
symptoms most often manifest as mild memory loss of
newly learned information. As the disease becomes more
severe, individuals experience the inability to respond
to their environment, display confusion about events,
time and place, experience mood and behavior changes,
develop suspicions about friends, loved-ones and caregivers,
and can have difficulty speaking, swallowing and
walking.
The Alzheimer’s Association publicizes 10 Early
Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease on the
aforementioned website as well as the differences between
Alzheimer’s and other typical age-related changes. In
their article entitled “What is Alzheimer’s?” (https://www.
alz.org/alzheimers_disease), the Alzheimer’s Association
explains that Alzheimer’s changes begin in the part of the
brain that affects learning and is caused by two abnormal
structures called plaques and tangles which damage and
kill nerve cells.
If a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
Disease, one of the most critical steps to take is to contact
an elder law attorney to develop a care and financial plan.
There are several essential documents necessary to protect
an individual once he/she has become incapacitated, but
these documents must be implemented while he/she still
has capacity. The level of capacity a person must have in
order to execute a will is entitled “testamentary capacity”,
in that the individual must understand what he or she
is signing and the implications of what is being signed.
He or she must also understand the “bounds of his/her
estate.” As long as an individual has periods of lucidity,
he or she may still be competent to sign a will.
Another critical document that a person with a
diagnosis of dementia should make sure he/she has in
place is the power of attorney, appointing someone else
to manage his/her financial affairs. The power of attorney
is the single most important planning document and it
requires a higher level of capacity than a simple will.
We recommend that adults with the requisite capacity
begin the process to secure the completion of these
documents and ensure that trusted family members and/
or friends are aware of their location. These documents
include: Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Living
Will, Last Will and Testament and possibly an asset
preservation trust. It is also important to create a plan
for long-term care. An elder law attorney should be
consulted for assistance in developing an appropriate
plan and for drafting the aforementioned documents.
For the past 20 years, Ronald Fatoullah has served
on the Legal Committee of the Long Island Alzheimer’s
Association and since 2014, has also served as the Co-
Chair of the Board of Directors for the Long Island
Chapter. This disease either already has or will touch
many of us during our lifetime; therefore, raising
awareness and assisting in the annual campaigns
for funding to support the efforts of the Alzheimer’s
Association is a way we can all get involved and make
a difference.
Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. is the founding attorney of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, a law firm that concentrates in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid
planning, guardianships, estate administration, trusts, wills, and real estate. The law firm can be reached at 516-466-4422, or toll free at 1-877-ELDER-LAW or
1-877-ESTATES. Mr. Fatoullah is also a partner with Advice Period, a wealth management firm, and he can be reached at 424-256-7273.
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