Q. I was having a conversation with my father at Thanksgiving dinner this year about debt. I am middle-aged, and am in a long-term relationship, but have never been married. I currently have a lot of debt, including student loans from going back to school, a mortgage, medical bills, and credit card debt. If I […]
Inspiring Memories and Emotions in Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s
Nora has had Alzheimer’s for more than 10 years. Each year, her niece, Jeannette, visits her a few days before Christmas, to play her favorite holiday music, give her candy canes, and show her pictures of Washington, DC, where she spent most of her Christmases with family throughout her life. Jeannette would do anything to […]
10 Biggest Estate Planning Blunders of Celebrities – Don’t Make These Mistakes!
Q. I have been reading your newsletter for several years now. I remember, in the past, you did a series on celebrity estate planning mistakes and lessons that can be learned from them. I found it to be very helpful and interesting to read. Since then, have there been any new instances involving celebrity estate planning […]
Often Overlooked Tax Breaks for Seniors
Dear Ribbit, I read recently that Trump’s Tax Plan may eliminate the ability for seniors to deduct their medical expenses. That would certainly be a horrendous result, as my husband and I depend on that deduction. For future reference, what are some other things can seniors deduct? Thanks, Dee Duxions Dear Dee, As we all […]
Gifting and the 2018 Gift and Estate Tax Exclusion Numbers
Q. Our daughter got married a few months ago and she and her husband found the perfect starter home in Springfield. The owners accepted their offer and my daughter and her husband asked me for $20,000 to help with the down payment. Last year, I gave them $14,000 to buy a car, and the previous […]
Watch Out for These Scams During Medicare Open Enrollment!
Joanna received a call last week from a man claiming to be from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Joanna was told that she was entitled to money back because of “changes” that were made by Medicare. The man on the phone asked for not only Joanna’s Medicare number, but also her bank […]
The Ugly Side of Hospice Care
Q. My mother is ready to transition to hospice care. She has very advanced dementia, severe arthritis, and is immobile. With all of the assistance that she needs, we can no longer care for her in my home, even with the help of nurses and aides, and we probably should have transitioned her to a […]
Alzheimer’s Turns 100 – Bill Gates is on a Mission to End It Now!
100 years ago, German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer first wrote about “a peculiar disease.” He described the case of a woman named “Auguste D,” who was experiencing significant memory loss, severe paranoia, and other psychological changes. But, it wasn’t until Alzheimer performed an autopsy on her brain that he found that her brain had shrunk […]
Bill to Support 40 Million Caregivers Becomes Law
Q. My friend, Molly, is the primary caregiver for her mother, Anne. Anne suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, among other things. After a hospital stay for an infected gall bladder, she came home and the responsibility of caring for Anne fell completely on Molly. According to Molly, her daily routine includes preparing Anne’s […]
Is Alzheimer’s a Spectrum Disease, Similar to Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Mary, a retired college professor, was unhappy when her ophthalmologist insisted that she stop driving. It happened when Mary informed her about her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Mary’s vision hadn’t changed in 10 years, and she felt perfectly capable of driving at that point in time. At an appointment with her neurologist, Mary expressed her dismay about […]
Planning Ahead for Grandchildren
Q. Two years ago, our daughter Meredith got married. Today, she called to tell us that she is expecting twins! My husband and I are overjoyed, as they will be our first grandchildren. We want to make sure we include them in our planning. We know how expensive it was to send our children to […]
Simplifying the Medicare Process
Q. I am a few months away from my 65th birthday, and I am aware that it is time to begin thinking about enrolling in Medicare. I started researching Medicare online, and I realized that enrollment is much more confusing than I anticipated. I’m not sure where to begin, who to contact, and which plan is best, […]
VSED — Please Stop Feeding Me!
Last weekend, I presented at the Positive Aging Fair, and my PR Director, Renee, staffed our expo booth. Renee told me and Jeannie about another booth at the expo that was particularly memorable, because the representative brought an oven and was baking cookies on-site. Upon speaking with him, Renee said that he does the same thing […]
Medicaid CCC Plus Rolls Out in Northern Virginia on December 1, 2017
Q. My mom, who you recently did asset protection for and got qualified for Medicaid, recently received a letter in the mail from the Virginia Department of Medical Services that welcomed her to Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus), Virginia Medicaid’s new, required managed care program. The letter mentions that her mandatory enrollment in the CCC Plus […]
Has In-home Care Gotten a Lot More Expensive this Year?
Q. I’ve been a full-time caregiver for my mother for the past few years. Last year, when I noticed that my role was becoming more than I could handle myself, I started looking into in-home care. At the time, I decided against it because it was too expensive. This year has been particularly hard on me, and I […]
Local College Students Invent New Gadget to Diagnose Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. It is the most common cause of dementia in older adults. Currently, doctors can’t definitively diagnose Alzheimer’s, so they typically inform patients of “possible Alzheimer’s dementia,” “probable Alzheimer’s dementia,” or […]
What’s in Your Estate Plan, Mom and Dad?
Q. Our daughter, Melanie, recently came to visit us. She told us that she and her husband will be meeting with your firm to do their estate planning and incapacity planning. Then, she inquired about what we put in our estate plan. We were taken aback by the question, and luckily, the time wasn’t ideal […]
Her Parents Were Kidnapped by a Professional Guardian
Rudy North was an avid reader, who had a sharp mind and liked to write down quotes from his favorite books. Rennie, his wife of fifty-seven years, was recovering from lymphoma and suffered from neuropathy so severe that her legs felt lifeless. Yet, she spent her mornings prettying herself up for her husband, who referred […]
Find Out Why Only 1.5% Of Social Security Recipients Use This Program!
Q. My mother, Louise, was diagnosed with dementia when she was 60 years old. Her dementia has progressively gotten worse since then, and I am helping a lot these days with some caregiving tasks, and money matters. My mother is currently living off of Social Security only. Since I am in charge of her finances at this […]
It’s Alzheimer’s, Not the Plague!
Lindsay was at a family gathering with her mother, who she was visiting in Virginia Beach. Her favorite uncle, Fred, who she recently found out was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, was there helping out in the kitchen. When she saw him for the first time since his diagnosis, she got a pit in her stomach. She […]
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