Life spans are increasing, and many of us are living well into our 80’s and 90’s. At the same time, however, the price of long-term care is increasing, and as we learned last week, you CANNOT count on long-term care insurance to pay for it. Still, many Americans do not recognize that planning in advance […]
Attitudes Are Changing About Reverse Mortgages
Q. My mother-in-law, Rita, owns a home in Vienna that is valued at $675,000 and the amount owed on her mortgage is still around $300,000. When she retires next year, the monthly mortgage payment will be unaffordable for her, but she would still like to remain in her home. She watches lots of late night television, and […]
70% of Americans turning 65 will need Long-Term Care
Correction: The title of our newsletter is incorrect. It should be “One in seven adults will have a disability for more than five years.” We apologize for this error! Photo from homeaidescny.org A new federal issue brief, compiled by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), was released following the White House Conference on Aging. The research shows that […]
$10,000 a month! Why don’t they take it seriously?
Q. My parents are in their 70’s and I am a caregiver for them, while working part-time and raising a family. My father has had Parkinson’s for fifteen years and is no longer mobile. My mother is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. As much as I love them dearly, it is becoming a real […]
Non-Borrowing Spouses Can Still Face Eviction Due to Previous Reverse Mortgage Rules
Amy (59) and her husband, Frank (66), decided to get a reverse mortgage, sometimes known as an HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage), last summer to supplement Fred’s Social Security. Amy was left off the reverse mortgage, due to her age. Later, she and her husband read about how a change has been made to the rules […]
Want Free Long-Term Care? Try Medicare Part G.
Q. Nursing homes are so exorbitantly expensive. There is no way I can afford long-term care for myself, when the time comes, or for my husband, Morty. Is there any way to qualify for free long-term care in this country? A friend told me there’s a Medicare Part G that pays for free long-term care, […]
Holiday Tips for Parents of a Special Needs Child
Dear Saki and Alley, I recently got remarried and we are going to my sister’s house for the holidays. My new stepson, Sean, is autistic and doesn’t do well with new places or changes to his routine. Do you have any suggestions for how I can help my new husband make the holidays a happy […]
Finding the Right Nursing Home
Carol and Bob invited his mother, Ginny, to spend the holidays with them, as she does every year. This year, her live-in caregiver expressed concern that it was not a good idea because Ginny’s dementia has gotten worse and she may not recognize her own grandchildren. Ginny cannot do much independently anymore and needs help […]
Virginia 529 Prepaid Education Plan Limited Time Open Enrollment: Plan Ahead for Your Child or Grandchild
We all dream of the day when our child or grandchild is accepted to college. From the time he or she is diapers, we begin planning for great things. We drive them to soccer, gymnastics, and music lessons in hopes that they are talented enough to earn a scholarship to college one day. Then the […]
Long-Term Care Insurance- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month, a continuing effort to raise public awareness about long-term care insurance and planning. Statistics show that more than 70% of people age 65 or older will need long-term care sometime in their future. That statistic alone dictates that you need to have a plan in place. With long-term care […]
Halloween Can Be Scary for those with Dementia
Q. My mother-in-law has dementia and lives at home with a caregiver to assist her with activities of daily living. Before she was diagnosed, she loved Halloween, especially all the decorations, seeing the grandchildren dressed up in costumes, and the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The children also loved trick-or-treating at her home, because she would go all […]
Caution: Our Top 10 SCARIEST Articles
With Halloween upon us, it is time to present you, our dear readers, with this year’s scariest & creepiest stories. From the nightmare of probate to court cases involving filial responsibility, we uncovered some scary ground. To celebrate Halloween, we’ve ranked our scariest articles for you to revisit (if you dare). As always, thank you […]
NASA SmartWatch, Implanted Health Devices, and Other New Technology for Seniors
Is Grandpa going gadget-crazy? Not quite yet, but we are getting there. According to a recent Pew Research survey, the number of older adults using the internet and related tech devices is increasing, with 59% of seniors reporting that they go online and 77% of older adults reporting that they have a cell phone. The Pew Research […]
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 […]
Sandwich Generation: How to Survive Financially
Q. My husband and I are in our mid 40s and caught between raising our 10 and 14 year old children, working full-time, and caring for my father, who has Parkinson’s. We are particularly concerned about saving for college for our children and for our own retirement, while helping my father live safely and comfortably […]
“Hide” is a Four-Letter Word
Q. I read in USA Today about an 83-year-old man who hid $1.1 million in offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes. I have also read about others who attempt to hide their assets to qualify for Medicaid, as a way to pay for long-term care. Isn’t it wrong and unlawful to hide assets in order […]
New Reverse Mortgage Rules are in Effect this Week
Q. My husband, Rick, and I are considering moving after a stroke limited his mobility, because our home is not completely accessible for him. However, our house is in good repair, completely paid off, and in close proximity to our children and grandchildren. Another issue we are having is that although it is paid off, […]
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. […]
The Reverse Mortgage Saga Part 5: “How the Farr Law Firm is Helping Clients Stay at Home”
When our clients come in to sign their Incapacity Planning documents (including their POA), we provide them with an Affidavit of Competency to give to their doctor to certify competency as soon as possible after the document signing, thus satisfying the first major “competency” hurdle.
Making the Nursing Home Choice
While placing a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision, there may come a time when it is the right one. It will help if you do your homework and trust your instincts. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the nation’s nursing homes provide care to over 1.5 million […]