If you or a loved one think you might need to apply for long-term care Medicaid in the future, you might want to understand how potential changes to the program — such as a shift to a block grant system — could impact nursing home coverage and home-based long-term care services. For decades, Congress has […]
Home Care Options for Veterans!
Jane and Ron are both veterans in their 70’s who live at home, and unfortunately, both are experiencing serious health issues. In addition to their health problems, Jane and Ron are struggling financially and contemplating bankruptcy. To complicate things even further, both of their children live more than six hours away. Jane and Ron are […]
Understanding Common End-of-Life Signs and Ensuring Appropriate Estate Planning Is in Place
Understanding the common signs that a loved one is nearing the end of life can provide comfort and help families prepare for the inevitable. Recognizing these signs allows for meaningful interactions and ensures that appropriate care is provided during this critical time. Common Signs Indicating Approaching Death 1. Changes in Breathing Patterns Irregular breathing, known […]
News Alert: Did Yesterday’s Medicaid Payment System “Blackout” Change Anything?
Temporary Medicaid Blackout Yesterday, President Trump’s administration announced a freeze on federal grants and loans to assess their alignment with the administration’s priorities. Although Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid were supposed to be exempt, the freeze (caused by an inadvertent server “outage” according to the Trump administration) temporarily affected Medicaid payment portals, causing great concern […]
2025 Key Elder Law Numbers
When Walt Disney said, “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future,” his words referenced how inevitable change is, how quickly it can occur, and how we must continuously look to the future. The meaning behind this quote and the ever-changing world in which we live […]
October Is Long-Term Care Planning Month
Dear Raider, I read that it is Long-Term Care Planning Month, and last night Lester Holt talked about the rising cost of living for aging Americans. With most things continuing to rise in price, I can’t even imagine the cost of long-term care these days. Do you have any recent information about what someone could […]
Can Caring for a Loved One Be Harmful?
I met with an adult child of a client earlier this week. When the family first came to me about a year ago, the wife had late-stage Parkinson’s and the husband had been her primary caregiver for many years. The husband was clearly experiencing the stress and fatigue of caregiver burnout. He realized he could […]
“All Through the Night” Teaches Important Lessons About Alzheimer’s
“All Through the Night” is a short film starring actor Tim Daly as a father living with Alzheimer’s and Luke Slattery playing his son. Writer/director Graham Marvin, 35, wrote this film about his relationship with his own father, who at 83 is nearly 50 years older than him and suffers from memory loss. Graham’s father […]
Beware of “Forgotten Assets” When Applying for Medicaid. And Beware of Bankers Trying to be Helpful.
We received two similar questions this week and will address them both. Q1. My aunt opened a savings account at her local bank for her son (my cousin) in the late 1980’s when my cousin was in college. When she opened the account for him, the bank representative, trying to be helpful, suggested that the […]
Would a Graduation Gift to my Son Affect my Mother’s Medicaid Eligibility?
Dear Raider, My son recently graduated from high school. My mother wants to give him a monetary gift of $1,000. She is in the early stages of dementia and may need nursing home care in the not-so-distant future. Would giving this gift affect her Medicaid eligibility? Thanks for your help! Ella Jability — Dear Ella, […]
Navigating the Complexity of Medicaid and Medicare Dual Eligibility
Q. I am aware that many people are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. How does dual eligibility work? It seems like anything involving Medicaid and/or Medicare can be pretty complicated. Can you tell me more about it and if/how these two programs are somehow integrated? Thanks for your help! A. Please note that this […]
A Screening Tool Exists that Accurately Predicts End-of-Life
Q. I read somewhere that there is a screening tool that was developed to more accurately predict someone’s risk of dying based on different factors. Do you know more about this or other screening tools that are out there and how they work? Is this too much information, or can people use this information to […]
Misinformation about Medicaid in Popular Media and Journalists Getting Legal Information from Non-Lawyers
Medicaid turns 59 in July 2024! In the summer of 1965, President Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress asking that we honor a basic commitment to our seniors. He asked that the later years of their lives not be filled with “despondency and drift, or fear of financial hardship in the event of illness,” […]
Prescribing Art: Can Art Be Used to Treat Conditions Affecting Seniors?
Two years ago, I wrote a three-part series that shared the wisdom of Katya De Luisa, a dementia educator and author of “Journey through the Infinite Mind–the Science and Spirituality of Dementia.” Besides being a dementia educator, caregiver coach, and author, Katya De Luisa is an art therapist. She describes art as “a window into […]
Are You a Super-Ager?
Are you someone in your 80s or older whose memory recall seems to be as good or even better than people decades younger than you? If you are, you’re in a relatively rare category of people known as “super-agers” — people who can easily recall things from many years ago with exceptional clarity along with […]
Comparing a Certified Medicaid Planner with a Certified Elder Law Attorney
Q. My sister-in-law and my husband have recently been discussing Medicaid Planning for my husband’s mother, who is in an early stage of dementia. You and your law firm represented my parents several years ago when we needed to protect their assets and get my mom on Medicaid. Thank you again for that! My siblings […]
What Are the Top Eight Questions to Ask a Medicaid Asset Protection Attorney?
May is National Elder Law Month! Elder Law Attorneys across the country, including those at the Farr Law Firm, are taking the opportunity to educate seniors about their legal options in the communities we serve. Now is the perfect time to talk about one of our practice areas: Medicaid Asset Protection, also known as Medicaid […]
Is Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic?
Years of research has found that the most common gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease is a risk gene called apolipoprotein E (APOE). Recent research built upon what was already known about APOE, finding that people with two copies of the gene variant APOE4 are almost certain to get Alzheimer’s. This new information could result in […]
More than Half of Adults are Unprepared, Confused, and Anxious about Long-Term Care
Dear Angel, I follow Mr. Farr’s newsletter and understand the need to plan in advance for long-term care, since it’s only getting more expensive. Others I know do not see this as a priority. Is the lack of preparation in advance for long-term care (something I hear that 70% of us will need one day) […]
Our Top 23 Articles of 2023
Happy New Year! As our loyal readers know, we’ve covered a lot of ground in 2023. From incredible technological advances involving artificial intelligence to new diagnostic methods and treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, technology continues to have a major impact on our lives. In addition, inflation continues to play a major role in the confidence […]
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