Page 17 - The Jewish Voice - April '24

The Jewish Voice, Page 17

LifestyLes

Tip of the Tail A cloudy or opaque lens is called a cataract. The most common may start with topical medications, but surgery is often the best
cause in dogs is inherited cataracts, but other cataracts form option. Your veterinarian can arrange a referral appointment to
Canine Cataracts after traumatic injuries or systemic disease such as diabetes an ophthalmologist to further evaluate your pet’s condition and
mellitus. Cataracts appear spontaneously and can be related determine appropriate treatment options.
to other age changes that occur as your dog gets older. The Since the major cause of cataract is hereditary, cataract
hereditary cataracts can be seen in many breeds including progression varies from breed to breed and individual to
Cocker Spaniels, Labs, Poodles, and Boston Terriers. individual. Cataracts may develop relatively early in life in
The affect cataracts will have on your dog can vary from some breeds, but in others the first signs are detected when
almost none to total blindness. If cataracts occupy less than 30 the dog is older. The progression can be so slow that dogs still
percent of the lens or only one lens, the vision will be almost have reasonable sight well into old age. Efforts can be made
normal. Noticeable impairment occurs when greater than 60 to prevent inherited cataracts by careful and conscientious
percent of the lens is affected and, if opacity progresses to 100 breeding. Many veterinary ophthalmologists offer eye
percent, your dog will be blind. The progression depends on certification programs that offer breeders the opportunity to
the type of cataract, the breed, and other risk factors. Veterinary screen their breeding stock and make sure they are producing
The structure and function of the eye is similar to that of ophthalmologists can surgically remove cataracts and restore disease-free puppies.
a camera. The camera has a lens to focus light on film, while failing vision caused by cataracts in your pet. Most pets have few Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical Center
the eye has a lens to focus light on the retina, which sends complications and return to normal activity, running and playing is dedicated to providing the best possible care for your
signals to the brain to be interpreted into the world around us. within just a few days of the surgery. The ophthalmologists pets. With focuses on compassionate care in surgery,
physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative medicine,
extensive diagnostics and emergency service, Palm City
Animal Medical Center combines exceptional medical
care with a caring philosophy for pets and their owners.
For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit www.
palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on Facebook
FLORIDA’S at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.

Collecting Debts on Behalf of
HIGHEST Your Deceased Loved One

By Anné Desormier-
Cartwright, Esq.
People often engage in
RANKED transactions that result in
money being owed to them,
such as loaning money to a
friend or business partner or
renting a house to a tenant.
GI PROGRAM But what happens if someone
passes away before they
receive the money owed to
them? Can someone else
collect these debts? If your loved one has died and you think
they were owed money at the time of their death, keep the
following information in mind.
Does the Debt Die with the Person?
The fact that someone dies does not mean that the
outstanding debt owed to them disappears or is no longer
owed. The debt survives the death of the creditor and is
then owed to the deceased creditor’s estate. In fact, a debt
that is owed to the estate is considered an asset (i.e., money
and property) of the estate. The estate is entitled to collect
the debt as part of the probate process that culminates in the
distribution of the deceased person’s money and property to
the beneficiaries named in their will or to the beneficiaries
designated by state law if the deceased person did not have
a will. Similarly, if the debt is owed to the deceased person’s
trust, the trust’s right and obligation to collect the debt
continues after the trustmaker’s death.
Who Can Collect the Debt?
Before anyone can act on behalf of a deceased person’s
3 YEARS IN A ROW estate, they must be appointed by the probate court. If the
deceased person had a will, they probably named someone
they trusted to act as their personal representative (also
known as an executor). If the deceased person did not sign a
The renowned physicians at Cleveland Clinic will, a person who is given priority in Florida’s probate law,
Weston Hospital specialize in digestive conditions, generally a family member, can petition the court to name

both complex and routine. Florida’s highest ranked them as the personal representative of the estate to administer
the estate. Once appointed, the administrator of the estate is
gastroenterology program is advancing patient care authorized — and has a duty — to act on behalf of the estate
through research, innovation and surgical expertise. to collect the debt. Similarly, if a debt was owed to a deceased
person’s trust, the successor trustee has the obligation to try
to collect the amount owed to the trust.
For caregivers who hear you. For the answers you How Can a Personal Representative or Trustee Discover
need. For every care in the world. If the Deceased Person Was Owed Money?
If the personal representative (PR) or trustee is the

deceased person’s spouse, they may be very familiar with
the assets owned by their deceased spouse, including how
ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/Access much money their spouse was owed and who owed it, but a
non-spouse executor or trustee may be less knowledgeable
877.463.2010 about the assets owned by the deceased person. All PRs or
trustees should examine the deceased person’s important
papers and financial records to determine if there is any
evidence that money was owed to the deceased. Optimally,
there will be a written loan agreement, mortgage document,
or other contract that provides clear evidence of both the
existence of debt and the terms of repayment. However, even
if there is no formal contract, other written evidence — for
example, an email or even a text message demonstrating that

Lifestyles on page 18