Important Medicare Change: Patients No Longer Need to Show Progress to Receive Nursing Coverage
Medicare coverage of short-term rehabilitation in a nursing home is about to undergo a major policy change, resulting in beneficiaries with chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), diabetes, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, and stroke no longer need to show ongoing improvement to maintain Medicare coverage. For decades, […]
Planning for Long-Term Care (Part 5)
The Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit The best advice that I can give you when planning for long-term care is not to delay. We never know what the future holds. While we are able, we must prepare for a variety of situations, and so it is imperative not just to plan for long-term care, […]
Planning for Long-Term Care (Part 4)
The most important thing that you can do in planning for future contingencies is to act now. The future may hold limited resources or health problems for you and either one of these may prevent you from taking care of the things that you can easily achieve today. In Part 1 of this series, I […]
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 over a prolonged period of time. Long-term care can consist of care […]
Planning for Long-Term Care (Part 1)
Are you one of the millions of Americans over age 50 who has not yet started planning for long-term care? As financially responsible adults, most of us are prepared for some unexpected disasters – we pay for health and property damage insurance, and many of us have taken some steps toward funding for our retirement. […]
When a Nursing Home is the Best Choice for Everyone
As the Baby Boomer generation ages, more and more families are struggling to live with a loved-one suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. While memory loss can be a frightening experience for an aging parent or grandparent, its’ impact on the family can be equally frightening, particularly when there are young children in the home. […]
Sleepless Nights? You Can Put the Pills Away
Older people experiencing age-related sleep issues are likely to find more long-term relief through the use of regular exercise than they ever will by means of drug-related sleep aids. There are a number of reasons why exercise, particularly if performed at the right time of day, is considered the most positive sleep aid for seniors. […]
Senior Homeowners: When does a Reverse Mortgage Make Sense?
For many seniors the equity in their home is their largest single asset, yet it is unavailable to use unless they use a home equity loan. But a conventional loan really doesn’t free up the equity because the money has to be paid back with interest. A reverse mortgage is a risk-free way of tapping into home […]
Gidget Chirps In
Dear Gidget: I just read a story in the latest National Geographic about how certain fats in the blood of a python help its organs to double in size after eating a big meal to facilitate digestion. Apparently, it’s a healthy thing to have all that fat after all! So does this mean that I […]
Tackling the “Sibling Situation”
Siblings often have trouble agreeing on anything, so why should it be any different when it comes to Mom and Dad’s elder care? Unfortunately those of us in elder law see quite often how families have a very difficult time when it comes to determining what is best for aging parents. In some cases, one […]
More Boomers Stuck Raising Kids Kids
Baby Boomers are raising their grand-kids, reported SecondAct.com earlier this year. While it may not come as a big surprise given the difficult economic times,one can’t help but wonder what else may be going on? For one, there are 76 million Baby Boomers in general. Second, Baby Boomers have been referred to as the “Sandwich […]
Two Lessons from Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
You may be aware that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, fewer people realize that before October, is September: National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. More than 15,000 women will die from ovarian cancer this year, slightly less than half the number who will die from breast cancer (about 39,000). The prevalence of all […]
3 tips to talk to your parents about long-term care
1 – Explain that Elder Law attorneys are not “regular” lawyers Elder Law attorneys have deliberately selected a career in a specialized area of law to serve elders. Moreover, the client of an Elder Law attorney is the elder. Not the children. An inheritance is nice – and usually a much larger inheritance is a […]
5 Ways to Ease the Burden When Caring for Kids and Aging Parents
5 Ways to Ease the Burden When Caring for Kids and Aging Parents Did you know we just completed National Sandwich Generation Month? You may have never heard of it before, but if you care for aging parents and young children, you are part of this rapidly growing demographic. The burden of shouldering so much […]
National Assisted Living Week
Americans are living longer than ever before. Ultimately, many of us will require nursing home care or assisted living. How many? Studies indicate that one in two women and one in four men will live in a nursing home at some point in their lives. The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), a division of […]
Social Support Activities Lead to Better Quality of Life As One Ages
How important is social support as a person ages? This may seem like an easy question to answer. Most people would not choose isolation and loneliness versus spending time with companions. However, can lack of social support really hinder a person’s overall quality of life? Lack of social support is related to negative impacts on […]
Seniors: Gnashing Your Teeth Over the Cost of Dental Health?
Many adults know they need a living trust – not a will – to allow loved ones to skip the dreaded probate process after they are gone. But a lesser-known reality is that proper Medicaid planning may be necessary to ensure the standard of living does not dramatically change before death. Proper planning can ensure […]
Are you feeling HOT, HOT, HOT?
As I’m sure you’ve heard (and felt!) this week has already shown record-breaking temperatures across the country, and this heat wave is only expected to move further east through the end of this week. Temperatures are expected to break 100 today and tomorrow with a heat index of up to 110! While high heat is […]
Handicap Remodeling or Relocating
Robert and Anne purchased the family home thirty years ago, and their plan was to live there through retirement. They had furnished their home with restored antiques acquired from their many trips together. It was one of their cherished antique coffee tables that Robert tumbled over, breaking his hip. Now with his return from the […]