Laura, age 72, suffers from Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and diabetes. On a snowy afternoon, she sits on her bed watching her favorite court television programs. At 3:30 p.m., it’s time for her wellness appointment. Laura turns on her iPad (supplied by her doctor’s office), and sees her physician’s face smiling back at her. The doctor […]
Part 2: Where Presidential Candidates Stand on Medicaid and Veterans Issues
Q. I am having a hard time following where the candidates stand on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. I watched all the debates so far, and typically vote based on the person, not the party. If you know more about their stances on these issues, can you provide an apples-to-apples view on where they […]
Bring Your Mom to Work: On-Site Elder Day Care at Workplaces
Karen spent many years in school to get her PhD, followed by years of work to become a tenured professor at a university, and eventually a department head. She and her husband delayed starting a family, and when she was in her mid 40’s and at the peak of her career, she had her […]
A New Era of Human Longevity
Happy Birthday Irene Ciuffoletti! Irene Ciuffoletti, a nursing home resident in Pennsylvania, celebrated her 113th birthday last week with other residents, enjoying cake and music. A widow for more than half a century, she has outlived all but one of her five sons. She was already a centenarian when she arrived at the nursing home […]
Is it the End for Observation Status?
Q. Late last year, you answered a question about a woman who spent a week in the hospital and was seen by doctors and nurses, given every kind of test imaginable, operated on, transferred to another room for recovery, and then to a nursing home for two weeks of rehabilitation. Subsequently, she received a […]
Is Gray Divorce Necessary to Qualify for Medicaid?
In the mid-1980s, young Jennifer was shocked when her grandparents divorced after 60 years of marriage, around the same time her grandfather became sick with ALS. She was convinced that her grandparents’ love was enduring, which is why Jennifer couldn’t believe that when her grandfather was suffering, that her grandmother would desert him like that. […]
Beware of Woodchucks
Dear Angel, The other day a man from a “tree company” came to my door, and pressured me to cut down branches that he said would damage my house in the next big storm. He asked me for payment upfront. When my wife came home, she said it looked as if nothing had been done, […]
State of the Union: Status of Senior Programs
Q. My husband and I watched the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, until we fell asleep. We heard a little bit about Social Security and Medicare, but couldn’t get the complete gist of what President Obama was saying. If you watched, what do you think are some of the key takeaways for seniors, about important programs such as […]
How to Stave Off Dementia
Q. I am in my mid 50’s and have a history of dementia in my family. My mother, three of my aunts, and one uncle died from it, and I want to do whatever I can to protect myself from the disease, if at all possible. My cousin lives in Japan, and he told me […]
PBS’ Nine to Ninety: Three Generations Face Questions of Aging
Phyllis and Joe Sabatini (source: NextAvenue) Juli Vizza, 44, is an Emmy award-winning producer and editor who typically tells the stories of others in her documentaries. Recently, she witnessed her Aunt Sarah struggling with the caregiving of her sick grandparents, Joe and Phyllis Sabatini (who are 89 and 90, respectively), while also caring for her […]
Top 15 Articles of 2015
From the 50th birthday of Medicaid and Medicare and the 80th birthday of Social Security to the once-a-decade White House Conference on Aging, we covered a lot of ground in 2015. It was a year that included a new act being passed in Virginia to help special needs families, overtime pay for caregivers, and amazing new technological innovations to help seniors age-in-place. At the Farr Law Firm, […]
What Can Be Done with $350 million? (a lot, we hope)
Alzheimer’s research got a $350 million boost last week, when President Barack Obama signed the FY2016 budget into law. This historic amount marks the largest boost ever for federal Alzheimer’s research funding — a nearly 60 percent increase over FY2015 funding levels. Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death among the nation’s top 10 that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. Today, there […]
Will Christmas Gifts Disqualify Grandma?
Q. My grandmother is really excited about Christmas this year. In the spirit of the season, she is considering making a truly meaningful gift of $5,000 to the local animal shelter, and giving another $5,000 to her church. She also told me that she will be giving my husband and me $2,000 for a backyard […]
It’s Not Just the “Sandwich Generation” – It’s a Triple-Decker
“Are you the ham in an intergenerational sandwich?”- Graphic by Amanda Sterczyk Marlena is a 53-year-old professional who works out of her home office and provides care for her two octogenarian parents, whose health is rapidly declining. She is also a wife, and mom to two teenagers. When it comes to her parents, she often feels like she is taking care […]
How to Survive Adult Sibling Conflict Over Elder Care, Inheritances, and More
Q. Last week, my sister, my brother, and I traveled with our families to visit our 82-year old mother for Thanksgiving (I didn’t have to go too far, since she lives ten minutes away!). Although mom says she is “just fine,” we noticed several memory lapses and other signals of her waning health throughout our […]
Mom Abused Me and is Not Indigent – Why Should I Have to Pay for Her Long-Term Care?
Filial Responsibility (by Michal Dziekan) Image Source: Wall Street Journal Dolly Eori, 90, of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, requires 24-hour care. She lives full-time with her son Joseph and suffers from cancer and Alzheimer’s. She is a widow and the mother of three adult children: Paulette Rush, Joshua Ryan, and Joseph Eori (who has Power of Attorney […]
Blue Zones: Hotspots of Health, Vitality, and Longevity
Moai Walking Group at Blue Zone in MN. Image source: AARP Q. My 78-year-old sister, Alberta (Bertie), lives alone with her 7-year old West Highland White Terrier, Hallie. Bertie makes healthy choices, has a great group of friends, and volunteers in the community. She still walks for two miles total on her daily walks with […]
Exciting Age-in-Place Technology from the 2015 mHealth Summit in DC
In Touch Health Robot When loved ones are living independently and you can’t be there all the time, you often worry about their safety and well-being. You may wonder if they are eating often enough, taking their medications, or what would happen if they fell. Now, with age-in-place technology, you can remotely monitor your loved […]
New Law Helps More People Live Independently
Q. My widowed 82-year-old mother lives in the home she has owned for more than 60 years. She is legally blind, and has severe arthritis and diabetes, but she insists on staying in her home for now. In my opinion, in order for her to remain in her current independent living situation, she really needs […]
Balanced Budget Act: Good or Bad for Seniors?
Image source: Wall Street Journal On November 2, 2015, the Balanced Budget Act of 2015 (BBA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama. According to the President’s statement on the day of the signing, “Democrats and Republicans came together to set up a responsible, long-term budget process, and what we now see is a […]
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