Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Having a loved one in a nursing home can be an emotional experience. You want to make sure their needs are met by the facility and that they are being given the care that was promised and that they deserve.  How do you ensure that this is […]

Caring for a loved one with dementia poses many challenges for families and caregivers. People with dementia have a progressive brain disorder that makes it more and more difficult for them to remember things, think clearly, communicate with others, or take care of themselves. In addition, dementia can cause mood swings and even change a […]

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Earlier this year, low-income Maryland residents with disabilities filed a class action lawsuit against the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) over extensive Medicaid delays. The named plaintiff, Mary Lou Magee-Kern, lost her insurance benefits after her husband was laid off due to the economy. When she […]

A key feature of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of Medicaid to millions of low-income Americans, many of whom are uninsured.  Medicaid Expansion has been one of the most controversial parts of the new health care law, and some states are still deciding whether to take part in the expansion, including Virginia. […]

Just as a car needs regular maintenance, your estate planning documents need to be updated from time to time. Changes to the law and significant events in your life could alter the way that you originally meant to apportion assets in your estate planning documents. The only way to ensure that your estate plan truly […]

Print 0 46 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE A prepaid funeral contract is a legal agreement that allows a person to pay now for funeral services that will be needed sometime in the future. This contract may include the funeral, burial, cremation, and other related services. A prepaid funeral contract may be revocable or […]

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Seniors are slowly taking advantage of the free preventive health screenings and tests provided under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA mandates expanded preventive health services for all Americans, including Medicare beneficiaries. Under the ACA rules, a free yearly wellness exam is available from doctors who […]

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Recent study findings show that five major disorders— autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia — may share common genetic risk factors.  These findings may help pave the way to a better understanding and more treatment options for these disorders in the […]

This week, March 3-9, is National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), as proclaimed by President Obama in 2009.  Consumer education helps keep seniors and all Americans informed while providing them with resources to explain their rights and protections.  NCPW is the perfect time to talk about how you can protect yourself from Medicare fraud.  We also […]

Introducing the Farr Law Firm’s new LGBT website:  Visit and find:–  resources for careful and knowledgeable long-term care planning–  information about legal strategies, such as Advance Medical Directives, and–  details about how, with advance planning, same-sex couples can retain the benefit of the money,      income and assets it has taken a lifetime to accumulate! —- […]

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE $85 billion in automatic across-the-board domestic and defense cuts are set to take effect today. President Obama met with congressional leaders this morning in a last-ditch attempt to resolve the Sequester.  Watch this video for more details on today’s meeting. In the days leading up to today’s […]

Q: I am the beneficiary on my father’s insurance policy. Does that give me the right to control his property? My father is 86 years old and has dementia. He never had a Will and there are seven children who would just like the house to stay in the family without any one owner. I […]

Medicare Advantage and Part D costs for seniors are going down, according to an announcement last week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).“The Affordable Care Act (ACA) helps us strengthen Medicare Advantage and Part D,” said Jonathan Blum, CMS acting principal deputy administrator and director of the CMS’ Center for Medicare. “We […]

Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Siblings sometimes cease talking to one another or rarely do – and sometimes there are good reasons for this. For siblings who never got along as kids and have had little to do with each other as adults, being thrown together to make touchy decisions about […]

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE What is Sequestration? When politicians and newscasters talk about sequestration, or “sequester cuts,” they are referring to a fiscal policy enacted by Congress to deal with the federal budget deficit. Sequestration first appeared in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Deficit Reduction Act of 1985.  Simply defined, “sequestration” is the automatic […]