Any fan of comedy is probably familiar with the Marx Brothers, but you may not be aware of the struggles that plagued Groucho Marx in the last years of his life. As Groucho (whose real name was Julius Henry Marx) grew older, he had serious health problems, including dementia and broken hips from multiple falls, and his relationships with family members were strained. In the early 1970s, Marx met a woman named Erin Fleming who became his girlfriend, secretary, and manager. Groucho’s career surged under Fleming’s management, but his adult children worried that she was pushing him too hard and even took her to court for abusing their father. Groucho died in 1977, but the legal battle over his estate continued for several more years.  

This story may feature some unusual character, but unfortunately, it’s not an unusual problem. As this article from PBS points out, in the 1970s, “elder abuse” was not even a term, and people rarely recognized that their older relatives or friends were in an abusive situation until it was too late to help. Even today, it’s hard to know exactly how common elder abuse is because it typically occurs in private and tends to be underreported. However, there are public health campaigns, in the US and around the world, to make sure adult children and caregivers are aware of the warning signs and the resources available for the prevention of abuse. As the article points out, meeting with an estate planning attorney is a great place to start to be sure your wishes are known. 

You can read more about Groucho Marx and about elder abuse in the story linked above. As always, if you have any questions or would like to talk about estate planning for yourself or a loved one, please get in touch. 

See you on the trail.