Over the course of a day or so, Karen’s right arm began feeling weak and her speech began to slur. She was convinced she was having a stroke, so she called 911 and was rushed to the nearest emergency room. She remained in the hospital for nearly 48 hours to undergo testing, since it was […]
Overcoming Emotions: Moving Mom to a Nursing Home
Q. My aging mother has lived in her home since I was a child. My family loved the neighborhood so much that we never moved, and when I got married and had my own family, we bought a house a few blocks away. Now, dad’s been gone for many years, and mom has had home […]
A Parent has Alzheimer’s and a Gun. What Do You Do?
Ever since Gregg Schnepp retired, his favorite activity has been gathering with his friends at the shooting range. According to his wife, Joanne, who is a strong believer in the right to bear arms, “shooting is about his only interest in life.” However, as a 70-year old with both mental and physical decline, it is becoming unsafe for Gregg to carry a gun. Joanne knows she has to talk to her […]
Muhammad Ali’s Vision Was Realized
For more than 20 years, Rachel’s father has had Parkinson’s Disease. When she first moved to the DC area in 1998, her father walked with a cane, and although his hands shook a little, he was still able to dance with her at her wedding. Rachel knew that this was only the beginning, and as […]
Special Report: Long-Term Care Around the World
Part I: The Cost of Long-Term Care and How it’s Paid For Long-term care services, whether provided in institutions or in the community, are essential to the well-being of many elderly and non-elderly people with limitations in performing daily activities. In the United States, long-term care is disastrously expensive. Medicare, the public health insurance system […]
Should I Get Long-Term Care Insurance?
Dear Baxter, My neighbor is an insurance agent who keeps bothering me about long-term care insurance. I try to avoid her, but lately it hasn’t been working. To help me make an educated decision, can you provide some reasons I can add to my pros and cons list? Thanks! Lee Vamealone —- Dear Lee, With […]
Home Health Aides Are Quitting Their Jobs
The in-home care industry has been anticipated to be the largest job creator between 2012 and 2022, with an estimated 1 million new caregivers required during that time. Now some are questioning whether there will be enough people willing to fill those positions and that need. Elizabeth drives 100 miles a day, to several different […]
Virtual Reality for Seniors: Traveling Through Time and Reducing Pain
Helen, 83, loved recounting “the good old days” with friends at her assisted living facility. She would talk about her old neighborhood in Roanoke, the neighbors across the street, riding her bicycle with her friends, and swinging high into the clouds on a swing her father attached to a tree. She also mentioned her desire […]
$10,000 – $12,000? That’s for a Year, Right?
Q. I read in one of your recent newsletters that nursing homes in the metro DC area cost $10,000 – $12,000 a month. I think you made a typo, and I wanted to bring it to your attention. Those amounts are for a year, right? If nursing homes cost THAT MUCH per month, then nobody […]
How Caregivers Can Collect Social Security Benefits and Reduce Work Hours
Q. My mother had a stroke and really needs my help until we can find other arrangements. I’m afraid I’ll lose my job and wind up unemployed if I take time off work to care for her. Do you know if I have any rights under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? A. Millions of […]
Is it Dementia or Adult ADHD?
Ginny is a 58-year-old widow who struggles each day with where she puts her keys, her cell phone, her purse, and even sometimes her coffee cup after she fills it with coffee. She often has trouble following conversations, and after about 15 minutes, she doesn’t remember much of what was said at all. After observing […]
Long-Term Care Insurance: Yes or No?
Q. Long-term care is a subject we’ve been avoiding for years, but as we are getting older and less able to do things for ourselves due to physical ailments, my wife and I finally sat down to talk about it. At first, long-term care insurance policies that help pay the costs of extended nursing care […]
What Aging Parents Really Want from Their Adult Children
Ellen, 75, was thrilled at first when her daughter, Samantha, moved back to Northern Virginia with her family. She loved seeing her grandchildren and enjoyed being there for their concerts, soccer games, and birthday parties. Her feelings began to change, however, when Samantha began dropping by, acting overly critical, and assessing everything from the cleanliness […]
Enough is Enough! I Quit.
Every day, Rebecca goes to her mother’s house in Oakton, gets her out of bed, gives her breakfast, and dresses her. She spends the day with her, as she is working from her mother’s home. Sometimes, when Rebecca arrives, her mother will greet her with, “Oh, it’s you again.” And, throughout the day, she complains […]
Her Hospital Bracelet Said She Was “Admitted.” But We Found Out After Her Discharge That She Wasn’t.
This question was sent in by J.R., in response to my article about observation status in the March 2016 Golden Gazette. See also our recent blog posting on this topic: https://www.farrlawfirm.com/is-it-the-end-for-observation-status Q. My 89-year old mother (in PA) recently fell injuring her hip and was taken to a local hospital. After being assessed by her […]
Will Medicare Cover Telehealth?
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 […]
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