Dear Ernie and Jannette, My neighbor, Harry, is 80 years old and has gotten really into Tai Chi. He says it helps him stay fit, maintain balance, and avoid falls. I am 77, have arthritis and high blood pressure, and am not sure if Tai Chi is for me. Before I sign up, do you […]
Top 14 Articles of 2014
From non-traditional living options to stricter driving laws in Virginia, we covered a lot of ground in 2014. It was a year that included a new act to help special needs families, enhancements to the Medicaid program, and amazing new technological innovations to help seniors age-in-place. At the Farr Law Firm, we expanded from Fairfax to new locations […]
A New Act to Help Special Needs Families
Q. My 9-year-old daughter, Noelle, is intellectually disabled. The costs for her therapy and assistive technology are quite high, and we are in the process of applying for government assistance (SSI). Despite our struggles to make ends meet, her grandparents and my husband and I would like to save as much as we can […]
Ask the Expert: Can You Explain Social Security, please?
Q. I am 62 and getting ready to retire. I am really confused about how Social Security works. Can I start collecting now, or do I need to wait until I am 65? Also, what is all this about credits? I thought Social Security was determined based on the number of hours worked in a […]
Ask the Expert: 2015 Key Medicaid Dollar Amounts
Q. Every year your firm provides the key dollar amounts that are frequently used in elder law, including Medicaid figures, long-term care insurance deductibility limits, Medicare premiums, Social Security Disability, and Supplemental Security Income. Are these figures available for 2015 yet and, if so, can you tell me what some of the changes are for […]
MIT AgeLab’s Amazing Innovations for Seniors
Picture: Inside the MIT AgeLab, from telematicswire.net In 1900, life expectancy was just under 50. Today, people are living well into their 80’s, 90’s, and beyond. How can we make the most of the “bonus 30 years” we now have? According to the MIT AgeLab in Boston, MA, “longevity requires new thinking.” The MIT AgeLab was […]
“NO, ONLY A DOCTOR CAN CALL 911.”
Guest Post by Lauren Ellerman of Frith & Ellerman Law Firm, P.C. Imagine, you arrive at the nursing home to have lunch with your grandmother. When you walk into her room, she doesn’t recognize you and is begging for someone to help her. She says she is in pain, but she can’t tell you where […]
LGBTQ Marriage Ruling Brings New Planning Choices
LGBTQ married couples can now celebrate another important victory in their fight for equal rights. Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled to let the appeals court rulings allowing same-sex marriage in five states stand, clearing the way for same-sex marriages in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Now, same-sex couples can marry in 24 states, along […]
Filial Responsibility: Elderly Couple May Be Responsible For Son’s Medical Bills
Filial responsibility laws obligate adult children to pay for their indigent parents’ food, clothing, shelter and medical needs. When the children fail to do so, nursing homes, hospitals, and other creditors can file lawsuits against the adult children to recover the cost of caring for the parents. Not only can they sue the children for […]
The Status of Medicare on it’s 49th Birthday
Medicare, the federal health insurance program for 53 million people ages 65 and better and those with permanent disabilities, helps to pay for hospital and physician visits, prescription drugs, and other services. Last year, spending on Medicare accounted for 14% of the federal budget; Medicare also played a major role in the health care system, […]
Alzheimer’s Treatment: Non-Drug Therapies That Can Help
There are treatments available now that most families coping with Alzheimer’s or other dementia never hear about that can significantly improve their quality of life. Called non-pharmacologic therapies (NPTs), these treatments do not come in a pill. Instead, NPTs such as personal counseling and occupational therapy-based strategies are proven to improve the quality of life […]
Health Care Reform Act: Good News for Seniors
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) has released a report that demonstrates the benefits senior citizens are expected to receive as a result of new health care reform. The average senior citizen enrolled in “traditional Medicare” will save roughly $3,500 over the next decade, according to Senior Journal. The mechanism […]
Recent News: Democrats Petition Obama to Limit Social Security Reform
The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform may recommend budget cuts with regard to social security benefits, but members of Democratic members of Congress are vehemently warning President Obama that they will oppose such propositions, reported SeniorJournal News. 136 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to Obama last week, raising opposition to any […]
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, […]
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 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 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. […]
“Extra Help” Benefit for Seniors with High Prescription Expenses
When no generic version of a drug exists yet, the costs are even higher. The good news is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a program called “Extra Help” for some Medicare beneficiaries.
Is Medicaid Too Complex for Americans?
Medicaid complexity is a real problem. For those not familiar with program specifics, Medicaid – not Medicare – is the program Americans rely on to receive their long-term care. Long-term care is extraordinarily expensive – in fact, it is the single most expensive creditor Americans are likely to face. Unfortunately, understanding the various Medicaid rules […]
5 Basic Reasons to Consider a Revocable Living Trust
A revocable living trust can function as a Will, but it also offers other benefits that you should consider. If you pass away without a Will or Trust, the laws of your state will determine who receives your property, and in what amount. Moreover, your heirs will be required to wait a minimum of 1 […]
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