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 […]
Can You Still Live Alone if You Have Early-Stage Alzheimer’s?
When Kimberly was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she took it as a devastating blow. She experienced the gamut of emotions anyone would feel after such a shocking discovery about oneself, including shock, denial, and depression. It took Kimberly more than a year to accept what the doctor had said— that she does in fact […]
Red Flags When Choosing a Nursing Home
Dear Ribbit, We are currently looking for a nursing home for my father and we narrowed it down to two. I have made several visits and interviewed staff and residents using your Nursing Home Evaluation Tool. There were certain things I think would make both a perfect fit, and a few things that I am […]
A Prosthetic Brain to Improve Memory?
U.S. Army veteran, Steven, is missing his left leg from a war injury. He wears a prosthetic leg, and it enables him to walk. For those who are missing an arm or leg, an artificial limb (or a prosthesis) can often replace it. A prosthesis can help you to perform daily activities such as walking, […]
But I Promised I Wouldn’t Put her in a Nursing Home
Click Here to Read Magic’s to “My Dad Doesn’t Recognize Me – Is It Still Worth Visiting?” Q. I remember the moment like it was yesterday. My mom, who had Parkinson’s for ten years at the time, was sitting at my kitchen table. I saw how challenging it was for her to get her wheelchair from the living room into the kitchen, to chew and […]
Tax Overhaul: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for Seniors
Congress has ushered through the first major tax overhaul since Ronald Reagan was president. The measure, which President Trump signed into law last Friday, is about to change the lives of millions of Americans, including seniors. As the bill recently became a law, here is the good, the bad, and the ugly that seniors (and […]
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 […]
This Can Be as Damaging to Your Health as 15 Cigarettes Per Day
Erica and her husband, Russ, go to the local diner sometimes for breakfast. The past couple of times they were there, they noticed a senior man sitting alone. The man proudly wore a WWII veteran hat. One morning, Russ, who is a history-buff, struck up a conversation with the veteran. He and Erica introduced themselves […]
This Virginia Law Makes It A MUST to Do Medicaid Planning for Married Couples
Louise and Mark were married 50 years when Mark fell and broke his hip. Following hip surgery, Mark went to a nursing home for routine therapy. A previous stroke a few years before this had significantly weakened his body; thus, he was now unable to rally and achieve mobility again. For the past several years, […]
The Financial Problems of CCRCs
A Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) is an age-restricted community where, in most cases, incoming residents must be at least age 55 or older. The facilities offer independent-living units, assisted living units, and skilled nursing all in the same building or on the same campus. In addition to paying a sizable entrance fee, residents pay […]
The Brain’s GPS: Why Alzheimer’s Patients Wander
Janet, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, lives at the Juniper House Memory Care unit in Oregon. She is among her unit’s 16 residents who have exhibited the symptoms of Sundown Syndrome, where individuals with Alzheimer’s get agitated, disoriented, and restless late in the day. Residents, including Janet, have attempted to get through the door of the […]
Could You Get Alzheimer’s at 40?
Q. My older brother, Chris, just turned 40. He is a successful businessman, and the father of three. My family sees him and his wife often, as we are very close and they live nearby. Five years ago, I began seeing memory slips from Chris. For instance, he couldn’t remember our families going skiing, when […]
Top 16 Articles of 2016
From the presidential candidates’ views on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, to a new president being elected, we covered a lot of ground in 2016. It was a year that included the passing of the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act to help special needs individuals, overtime pay for caregivers being instated and subsequently shut down […]
Charitable Giving: The Risks of Generosity
Q. My granddaughter, Abigail, recently got married and my husband and I would like to give her a gift of $14,000 before the end of the year to put towards a down payment on their first home. To be fair, we also want to give the same amount to our grandson, Robert, for some remodeling […]
A Decline in Dementia Risk
Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, 47.5 million people have dementia and there are 7.7 million new cases every year. In the United States, more than 9 million Americans live with some form of dementia, according to the Dementia Society […]
A Must-Have Document for Family Caregivers
Kayla’s father, Bob, is in the early stages of dementia. She has hired paid caregivers who have come and gone because Bob has tendencies towards anger and violent outbursts. Kayla has decided that the time has come to quit her job to care for her father. Although she didn’t want to at first, she will […]
Intergenerational Living with a Purpose
Mary Steele, 82, spends her days giving rides to children who may have missed the school bus, or teens who need a ride to the mall. She plays trucks with a 5-year-old boy whose mother is at work, and talks to neighbors about their jobs and families. Each month, she enjoys a gathering where 50 […]
Medicaid and Prepaid Funerals
Dear Angel, We are considering whether to prepay for my husband’s funeral to lock in prices, to relieve the burden of family members during what will surely be a stressful time, and to ensure his personal wishes are carried out. He is in the early stages of dementia and will need nursing home care in […]
What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?
Recently, Gina’s mother told her the devastating news that her Uncle Jack had been diagnosed with dementia. When Gina’s husband got home from work, she quickly told him about her uncle’s “Alzheimer’s” diagnosis. Gina, her mother, and her husband began using the terms “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s” interchangeably, as if they meant the same thing, where […]
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