Q. I have six grandchildren — three from each of our two daughters. They live close by so I see them often and adore every one of them. I am not getting any younger and have some money I’d like to gift to them now, while I am still alive, so I can see them […]
What are the Medicaid, Tax, and Liability Implications of Paying an Independent Caregiver?
Q. We are getting ready to hire a new caregiver for my mom, and she is an independent contractor. Prior to now, we have hired caregivers from an agency. The caregiver has asked about being paid in cash, which will amount to $3,000 per month. How does payroll, taxes, and insurance work for an independent […]
Be Vigilant: Medicare Won’t Alert You When You Become Eligible for Part B
Sarah celebrated her 64th birthday in October of 2020, meaning she will be 65 this year and eligible for Medicare. Luckily, she is aware that she must enroll or face the consequences of delaying enrollment. She needs to remember to do so herself because the Social Security Administration doesn’t alert people as they near age […]
Hospice and Palliative Care are Essentially the Same Thing—Why is Hospice Covered While Palliative Care Is Not?
Q. I recently read about hospice and palliative care and now I’m thoroughly confused. They sound like exactly the same thing, but offered at different times. Why is hospice covered by Medicare and Medicaid, when palliative care is typically not? Thanks for your help! A. People often confuse palliative care with hospice care, and the […]
How the Recent Stimulus Check Works if Your Loved One is in a Nursing Home
Maria’s mother, Annie, lives in a nursing home and is on Medicaid. Annie recently received a stimulus check as part of the third round of Economic Impact Payments that were sent to eligible Americans last month. For most of us, extra money in our accounts is a welcome gift. But for Maria and her mother, […]
2021 Key Elder Law Dollar Amounts
Q. Every year the Farr Law Firm releases the newest figures for Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. I was wondering if they are available this year and if you can provide a summary of changes for these programs. Thanks for your help! A. Thank you for inquiring about the key elder law dollar amounts for […]
Boo! Our Top 10 Scariest Articles of 2020 (A Very Scary Year!)
2020 has been a scary year! Since we’re so close to Halloween, it’s a perfect time to catch up on some of the scariest elder law, estate planning, and special needs planning articles until now. Exposing everything from dementia at 30 to coronavirus patients being moved to nursing homes, our subject matter can get pretty […]
What’s the Difference Between Assisted Living and Nursing Home Care, and which is Less Expensive?
Q. We are currently caring for my mother-in-law, Margaret, in our home. We enjoy having her with us, but as her needs keep becoming greater, we find that she may need more support than we can provide. I have read that when a senior has a progressive medical condition or serious health needs, assisted living […]
Will Your Stimulus Check Affect Medicaid Eligibility?
Last month, many of us received stimulus checks in the mail. In fact, according to USA Today, 88% of Americans aged 18 and older were eligible for them. The check distribution started after the government passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help those facing financial setbacks amid the […]
When Your Loved One is in a Nursing Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Q. My husband, Bill, is currently in a nursing home with frontotemporal dementia. We are not able to visit him at this time, which is especially difficult for him and for us. He is declining quickly, so I was trying to visit at least twice a week before, but I understand that it’s for the […]
The Five Biggest Things to Know About Medicare
Q. I am turning 65 this year and will qualify for Medicare. I want to make sure I do things properly when it comes to applying. For instance, do I have to wait until I’m actually 65 to start the process, or can I start ahead of time? Also, long-term care is so expensive. Is […]
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 […]
2020 Key Elder Law Dollar Amounts
Every year we release the key dollar amounts that are frequently used in elder law, including Medicaid figures, Medicare premiums, Social Security Disability, and Supplemental Security Income. Since most of these figures have been released, we are happy to provide details on what has changed for the coming year. Be sure to check back here […]
Mission Accomplished or Mission Impossible: Is the MISSION Act Really Benefitting Veterans?
Q. As a veteran, my father used to have to wait weeks to see a VA doctor, and that doctor was more than 35 minutes away. I heard about the MISSION Act, where he will have access to community care and can find a doctor who is closer to his home, much faster than before. […]
When Your Aging Parent Is Running Out of Money
Q. My mother, Rosie, is 97 years old. She is still mentally sharp and she pays her bills on time. She does need some help physically, ever since she broke her hip from a fall a few years ago. Besides the broken hip, she has survived a heart attack and pneumonia. We are fortunate that […]
Why Do People with Alzheimer’s Remember Old Memories While New Memories Fade?
Q. I recently went to visit my father, Paul, who has Alzheimer’s. I posted a picture of us on Facebook, which prompted several cousins who lived nearby who I rarely see to visit while I was there. His first cousin, Sophie, came to visit and talked about how she lived next door to my […]
The Dangers of Joint Bank Accounts
Emily, 67, is seriously thinking about adding her adult daughter, Katie, as joint owner of her bank account. She is considering this because she wants to ensure that Katie would have easy access to her money in case of an emergency. Adding a family member to a bank account seems like it might not be […]
Open Enrollment is Now Much Easier
Nancy had been counting down the days to her retirement for a couple of years now. As the day got closer, she turned in her retirement paperwork to human resources, enjoyed the party her co-workers threw for her, and envisioned all of the lovely things she was going to do now that she no […]
New Virginia Law Removes Age Cap on Autism Coverage
Dear Magic, Our daughter, Rachael, has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Since she was a toddler, we have been taking her for every early intervention therapy there is, including Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), speech, and occupational therapy. We are thankful that these are mostly covered by insurance, or we’d likely be broke. Rachael is in middle […]
Son Is Liable for Mother’s Nursing Home Expenses
Q. My mother was diagnosed with dementia and will need nursing home care in the not-so-distant future. She recently started giving huge monetary gifts to me and my sister for birthdays and holidays. I told her that what she is doing is a bad idea, because Medicaid has a five-year lookback period. She said she […]
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