Edith is bilingual and speaks English and Spanish fluently. This has been helpful throughout her life, in her career, and in her travels. She was recently diagnosed with early onset dementia.What she didn’t know until now is that speaking two or more languages is helping delay the damage of the dementia, a new study suggests. In a recent study in the journal Neurology, researchers found that […]

There are as many as 90 million family caregivers in the U.S. today, and their contribution is thought to be equivalent to $450 billion in caregiving services every year.  This number is steadily increasing, as more Americans are caring for a loved one with a chronic condition, disability, special need, or the frailties of old […]

Greta was very close with her in-laws, and often referred to them as “the parents she never really had.” When her father-in-law, Chuck, started to show signs of dementia, she stepped in immediately to help. For as long as Greta could remember, Chuck and the other members of the family were completely averse to having […]

According to a recent report by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), changes in the Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance market, including higher-than-expected benefits and lower than anticipated returns on investments, have caused many major carriers to exit the market. Why […]

Q. My son, Eric, recently got married to Jennifer, and my mother, Olivia, would like to give them a gift of $10,000 for their nest egg. She also has a history of giving small monthly gifts to the animal shelter. If my mother requires nursing home care next year (which we think is possible), would […]

November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month, a time for families to educate themselves and prepare for potential long-term care needs. Planning ahead for long-term care better prepares families to live well in their later years. Below are some facts about the senior population and the growing need for long-term care in the United States that […]

Ruth and Earl Linderkamp, parents of Dawn Herrmann and Elden, Louis, Carl, Gene, and Dennis Linderkamp, resided in Four Seasons Healthcare, a nursing home in Forman, ND from 2006 until they died in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In August 2006, two months before the parents entered the nursing home, they signed a contract selling the […]

Q. My mother, Rose, is a Medicaid recipient who has been in a nursing home for the past eight months due to Alzheimer’s. My father, William, has been living in the home where he and my mother lived for over 25 years in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They bought the house together when they moved from Stafford, […]

When it comes to retirement, many Americans expect that they will never be able to afford to retire fully. In fact, a new Wells Fargo study cited in USA today found that 37% of people expect to work until they are too sick or die, despite the world economy returning to health. The annual Wells […]

Mary, who is 65, listens to classical music every day and does Sudoku and crossword puzzles. She is familiar with these things and hopes they will help to keep her mind sharp as she gets older. While these activities are certainly enjoyable for Mary, a new study found that continuous and prolonged mental challenge rather […]

Most people will need some kind of help with the activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, or moving around, in their lifetime. The need for such help can result from a natural decline of hearing, eyesight, strength, balance, and mobility that comes with aging, or can stem from a chronic illness. It is […]

This month, residents of nursing homes and other long- term care facilities, along with family members, facility staff, and others are honoring the rights of long-term care residents by celebrating Long-Term Care (LTC) Residents’ Rights Month. The theme for LTC Residents’ Rights Month 2013 is, “Speak Out Against Elder Abuse,” with the goal of encouraging […]

Medicare Open Enrollment began yesterday and will last until December 7, 2013. During this six-week period, Medicare beneficiaries have the option to make any changes to their plan that will take effect on January 1st, 2014. View a CMS video about Medicare Open Enrollment. Below are a few things you should do to prepare and […]

Every 68 seconds there is another person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States.  Since there is no single definitive medical test for identifying Alzheimer’s disease, arriving at the correct diagnosis can take time and patience.  To diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, a doctor will look for symptoms, such as memory problems, difficulty identifying familiar items […]

Q. How can I update the Will that I established when I was in the military approximately 10 years ago? Asked on AVVO by a resident of Springfield, VA A. Just as a car needs regular maintenance, your estate planning documents need to be updated or redone, especially if it has been 10 years since […]

This month, we celebrate National Special Needs Law and Down Syndrome Awareness months. One in 691 children are born with Down Syndrome and there are more than 400,000 people currently living with the condition in the U.S.  Although the genetic disorder has been recognized for decades, scientists still know very little about the cause.  During […]