Wendy's Words

We are excited to announce that  Jillian C. Reynolds is the new Director of Concierge Care Coordination® at Goidel Law Group! Jillian brings over two decades of dedication to client-centered, individualized care across the continuum of care.   Jillian's Background: Expertise:  Jillian’s work is grounded in a deep respect for each person's unique needs, values, and life circumstances, with a strong focus on dignity, advocacy, and informed choice. She has significant experienc

Join Kristina and Otto as they talk with Wendy Goidel, Esq. & Connie Wasserman, LCSW of the Goidel Law Group to discuss The Intersection of Elder Law and Social Work: Achieving Safe and Successful Aging in Place.

In January 2015, I launched Concierge Care Coordination® (“CCC”) at Goidel Law Group, a holistic practice model which merges the best practices in geriatric social work with elder law.  Throughout the ensuing decade, I have collaborated daily with a social worker to provide strategies and solutions to individuals experiencing chronic conditions and neurodegenerative diseases.  Together, we have advocated for the best care possible while navigating their family members through

In just one week, this country lost several significant nonagenarians and a centenarian who were pioneers, blazing trails for ensuing generations. Most of us will never achieve such status or national prominence. But we can all strive to affect positive change in our family or community. This is precisely what we are doing at Goidel Law Group through the creation of academic and non-profit programs designed to address the crisis in geriatric care in New York State. We are in

I know what you are thinking . . . not another post from an elder law attorney about Medicaid’s five-year lookback period and the need for long term care planning. While I constantly preach the gospel of that message, this blog post has absolutely nothing to do with government entitlement programs, planning, or the law. If nothing else, this should encourage you to continue reading.    This is not my typical blog infused with humor and self-deprecation. However, it will prove

Striving for a Better Answer It’s been happening more and more. It’s the silver elephant in the room. I’m just about to retain a potential client when I’m asked the loaded question, which typically comes in one of two varieties: “How much longer are you planning on working? or “What happens when you retire?” Let me share a snippet of the most recent interaction: Potential client: “Wendy, how long have you been doing this work?” Wendy: “Can you tell from looking at me tha

For three years I defied the odds and evaded Covid. But I recently succumbed to the virus. After feeling awful after two negative home tests, I dragged myself to the local urgent care center where I immediately tested negative for the flu. While the doctor opined that I probably had an old-fashioned virus, she nevertheless administered a PCR test. An hour later, the doctor called to deliver the positive Covid test result. “So much for the two negative home tests,” I ligh

You don’t act like you’re 60. This is what a friend recently said to me. Now she has been elevated to BFF status. I accepted the utterance as a compliment, but only after confirming that she did not think that my conduct and behavior resembled someone considerably older. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with acting in either directional decade. Then I thought to myself, she didn’t comment about my not looking like I’m 60. That’s because while the first commen

If you subscribe to HBO, you may be familiar with The White Lotus , a satirical series set in an idyllic luxury resort chain. The first season, based in Hawaii, provided an entertaining escape featuring the exploits and antics of well-heeled guests. After completing the inaugural season, I looked forward to the first episode of second two, which moved to an even more beautiful setting with sweeping Mediterranean vistas. Each scene could have been imprinted on a postcard and s

Plan Properly to Avoid Guardianship Here’s a riddle I asked during a virtual networking meeting last week: I recently went to a place that I despise with some of my best friends. Can you guess the location? These were the two answers: a funeral home and a nursing home. Hmmm. Those were terrific answers, but both were wrong. However, I do try to avoid both places like the pandemic. But here’s the correct answer: the courthouse. And more specifically, the Guardianship Part of t

This is not about what you think. It’s not about passing wealth to the next generation. The alarm bells have been sounding. Indeed, many articles have been written and statistics published about this age cohort and the impending impact on care. Without waxing philosophic, an undeniable crisis of care exists throughout the nation. Indeed, there is a dangerous dearth of workers and allied health professionals qualified to provide the care required by individuals grappling with

I have been receiving e-mails from a legal publisher offering a plaque commemorating my admission to the bar 35 years ago. Why would I need to pay for a piece of laminated wood? Do I really need to adorn my office wall with such a useless keepsake? I don’t even display the diplomas and certificates received from educational institutions and professional organizations. But the offer caused me to reflect and recognize how life-changing and transformative the past 35 years have

I’ve recently been feeling like a cast member on Billions, the Showtime® series about a cut-throat hedge fund. It’s not because I’m a wheeler dealer. The hedge fund employs a full-time psychiatrist – a major role on the series – to counsel the stressed- out fund managers to get out of their own way and process their feelings. Obviously, the psychiatrist is expected to help the fund managers increase productivity and produce billions of dollars for the fund. Just like those fi

I had just settled in last Sunday for the evening when I heard the distinct ding of a text message. It was from my daughter, Alex, who was at a jazz bar in Manhattan with her boyfriend. Here is a portion of our conversation: During the moments when Alex considered walking over to engage with this gentleman, he must have exited the bar. She surmised that he was there to enjoy the live piano music. But that wasn’t the point. It hit me. She gets it. She feels it. She suffers fro

Tis the season for thinking of what’s in the box. I attended a fundraiser at Tiffany’s over the weekend, admiring the robin’s egg blue box synonymous with its brand. I began flashing back to the occasions when I was presented with gifts from the luxury retailer and attempting to recall my impressions. Oh . . . yes . . . what am I really going to do with the silver spoon I received almost three decades ago when my son was born? While I seem to remember the person who gifted it

I’ll give it six months. That was the comment made to my husband when I opened my own practice. It was a verbal defense mechanism uttered to diffuse the reality of having made a major life-changing decision. Change typically triggers anxiety, as it opens the door to risk. However, not taking the risk was not an option. Complacency quickly becomes a curse. At the time, I was approaching my fifth decade of life. If not then, when? The ticking of my personal and professional bio

It happened. I got the call. It was from my 86-year-old father in the middle of a workday. I knew it couldn’t be good. My stomach turned over. “Wendy, your mother fell and broke her pelvis.” Oy vey. I felt responsible. I gave myself a kinehora (Yiddish for “evil eye” or “bad luck”). I had just been thinking the other day about how my parents survived the Covid-19 quarantine unscathed and without incident. They kept themselves physically active and mentally stimulated. I know

I spent last Saturday on a series of phone calls with friends and relatives who were dealing with death, disability, or disease. Parents had died or spouses were in hospice. They were experiencing different degrees of profound grief. I responded to each person by saying “I’m sorry.” Why was that expression of regret my initial response? I certainly wasn’t assuming responsibility. Their loss or situation couldn’t possibly be my fault. But it caused me to reflect on the use of