Q. My close friend, Paula, invited me to lunch the other day. We got to talking, and I asked her about her father who she told me was in a nursing home. She asked about my parents, and I explained how my mother’s dementia is getting worse, and we are exploring nursing home care for […]
Dispelling Myths About Medicaid
Dear Angel, I have heard several things about Medicaid, and I wanted to see if they are true. One thing that I’ve been told is that Medicare will cover my health care costs, including long-term care. Another is that you need to be broke to qualify. Lastly, my understanding is that I could give up […]
The Cost of Long-Term Care is On the Rise
Stanley and June Blum have been married for more than 75 years and are approaching the second century of life. Stanley is 97 and June is 96. Stanley is a retired shoe-industry executive who paints and writes poetry, while June is a psychologist who still works part-time. They own a home in the city and […]
Top 18 Articles of 2018
From consequences related to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to changes in Veterans’ Pension Laws, we covered a lot of ground in 2018. It was a year that marked the passage of the CHRONIC Care Act, the ACA being struck down by a Federal District Court, and amazing new technological innovations […]
What the ACA Verdict Means for Seniors
Q. I recently read that a federal court ruled to strike down the Affordable Care Act? Sounds kind of scary if you ask me. How is this going to affect seniors and people with disabilities? A.You are correct. US District Court Judge Reed O’Connor rendered his decision to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act. According […]
Yikes! Our Top 10 Scariest Articles of 2018
Believe it or not, in Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Special Needs Planning, there are some news stories that sound more like the scary plots of horror movies than real life. The topics can be so horrifying that suddenly, you need to turn on all the lights just to read the news stories and do […]
2019 Key Elder Law Dollar Amounts
Every year we release the key dollar amounts that are frequently used in elder law, including Medicaid figures, long-term care insurance deductibility limits, 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 […]
Things You May Not Know About Long-term Care
With nearly 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day from now until 2030, long-term care is a top concern of current and soon-to-be retirees, or at least it should be. You never know what sort of health issues life might throw at you, and even if you’re relatively wealthy […]
Can They Kick Her Out of Assisted Living?
Jeff Regan received a shocking phone call from Atria Assisted Living to inform him that his aunt, Marilou Jones, 94, who has dementia, was being evicted. The family was informed by the nurse who phoned them that Marilou can’t transfer into memory care as the family had planned; and that she would be kicked out […]
Can Your Spouse Get Paid for Being Your Caregiver?
Joseph quit his full-time job to provide full-time care for his wife, Stephanie, who is suffering from early-onset dementia. He bathes and dresses her, prepares her meals, takes her blood pressure, gives her prescribed medications twice a day, and takes her to all of her medical appointments. Joseph had to quit his job to fulfill […]
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 […]
Medicaid Expansion Passed – What it Means for Healthcare in Virginia
It’s true! After years of advocacy and a long-delayed budget, the Virginia General Assembly passed a state budget that includes the Medicaid expansion coverage created under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Medicaid expansion in the Commonwealth will improve the quality of life for 400,000 Virginians by enabling them to gain access to […]
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, […]
Questions to Ask When Hiring a Home Health Agency
Dear Angel, Our mom had a pretty bad stroke recently, but fortunately it was not a massive stroke, and we will be able to bring her home soon. We’re looking for a home health agency to assist her when she comes home from the hospital. The hospital gave us the name of just one agency, […]
Paying for Long-Term Care . . . through Payroll?
Laurie Jinkins, a state representative in Washington state, has a mother-in-law who is 92, and who has dementia. She recently needed nursing home care, and qualified for Medicaid. Norm Johnson, also a state representative in Washington, used up much of his savings paying for in-home aides for his mother. His father spent so much on […]
Two Popular Medigap Plans are Being Shuttered — What It Means for You!
Q. A couple of years ago, my aunt Linda applied for a Plan F Medigap plan and the insurance company approved her. The following year, she saw a specialist about some hip problems she was experiencing, went for an MRI, and ended up needing hip replacement surgery. Medicare paid 80% of the cost of her […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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