Looking for a way to help Mom and Dad pay for Home care or assisted living? Perhaps you are their caregiver. Wouldn't it be nice to receive some extra income to help you provide their care? There is financial help available for senior Veterans and … [Continue reading]
Too Soon Old
A very touching poem has been winging its way across the Internet for a couple of years now, but I just recently read it for the first time. Often entitled "Crabby Old Man," you may have already seen it, but it's worth another read. As the story … [Continue reading]
Planning for Long-Term Care (Part 3)
In Part 1 of this series I outlined the necessity to create a good Long Term Care Plan and in Part 2 I discussed the three most essential documents found in that plan. The first essential document is a General Power of Attorney (POA) containing … [Continue reading]
Planning for Long-Term Care (Part 2)
"Long-Term Care" refers to the broad spectrum of medical and support services provided to persons who have lost some or all capacity to function on their own due to a chronic illness or disabling condition, and who are expected to need such services … [Continue reading]
Planning for Long-Term Care (Part 1)
Are you one of the millions of Americans who made a New Year’s Resolution to plan for long-term care? Have you started it yet? As financially responsible adults, most of us are prepared for some unexpected disasters – we pay for health and property … [Continue reading]
Eight Steps to Less Stressful Caregiving
Taking care of a loved one with special needs can be exhausting and stressful. Often due to the lack of outside help, a devotion to the person needing care, or the tunnel vision that can accompany exhaustion, caretakers don't take care of … [Continue reading]
A Roundup of Key Elder Law Numbers for 2009
Below are figures for 2009 that are frequently used in the elder law practice, including the new Medicaid spousal impoverishment figures and the long-term care insurance deductibility limits. Medicaid Spousal Impoverishment Figures for 2009 The … [Continue reading]
Moving? Make Sure Your Special Needs Planning Moves With You
If you have already established an appropriate special needs trust for your child, then congratulations! You've taken a wonderful step towards ensuring that your child can take maximum advantage of the government programs available for his or her … [Continue reading]
Ten Affordable Gifts for Elderly Parents
Finding the right gifts for family members is an annual challenge, especially this year when everyone is feeling economic uncertainty. Gift giving is more meaningful when you know that the item you’ve chosen will have personal significance to the … [Continue reading]
Divorce and the Child With Special Needs: Income Deeming and Child Custody
Divorce is a difficult process for everyone. If you have a child with special needs, the choices you make during a divorce can have lifelong repercussions, both for you and for the child. It is not always in the best interest of a child with a … [Continue reading]
Elder Mediation Resolves Family Conflicts
"My daughter is insisting I move in with her," complains Martha. "She just wants to control my life and take away my freedom," she continues. Jenny, Martha's daughter, worries that her mother keeps falling, and fears one day she will break her hip … [Continue reading]
Writing a Memorandum of Intent for a Special Needs Child
How can you ensure that your special needs child will remain well cared for and secure once others assume the role of guardian or caregiver? While creating a financial plan and establishing a specialized trust are central to preparing for your … [Continue reading]
Holiday Blues: Depression in the Elderly
The holiday season is quickly coming upon us. If you are a caregiver for an elderly loved one, you may notice a change in your loved one's mood as the holidays approach. Perhaps you are one of many who live a distance away and visit elderly parents … [Continue reading]
Estate Planning For Parents of Special Needs Children
A recent Wall Street Journal article focused on estate planning for parents of children with special needs, which includes the following challenges: - How do you leave funds for the benefit of the child without causing the child to lose important … [Continue reading]
Celebrating Our Family Caregivers
November is National Family Caregiver’s Month. Most family members who help their older loved ones don’t see themselves as caregivers. Yet a caregiver is anyone who helps an older person with household chores, errands, personal care, or finances. … [Continue reading]
Adulthood Decision-making for a Special Needs Child
Parents of children with special needs must be concerned with ensuring that medical and financial decisions will continue to be made in the child’s best interest once the child reaches age 18 – the age of legal capacity. In most states, once a child … [Continue reading]
Transportation Options for Seniors in Fairfax County
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990 and since then has improved transportation options for seniors and disabled persons living in Fairfax County and beyond. The ADA is a federal civil rights law prohibiting discrimination … [Continue reading]
New Law Will Slash Medicare Copayments
An overlooked portion of recent Medicare legislation promises Medicare recipients greater access to mental health benefits. Both houses of Congress passed the new law, known as the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, over a … [Continue reading]
Medicaid Asset Protection
What is Medicaid Asset Protection? Medicaid Asset Protection is the process of protecting assets from having to be completely spent to pay for the devastating expenses of long-term care, while helping to ensure that you (or your loved one) get the … [Continue reading]
Funding a Special Needs Trust: How Much is Enough?
As a parent or guardian, you want to ensure that your child with special needs will remain financially secure even when you are no longer there to provide support. Given the significant, ongoing expenses involved in your child’s care and uncertainty … [Continue reading]