Dear Ribbit, We are looking for the right living arrangement for my mother. We have considered assisted living (AL), but she will likely need more care that an AL facility can provide in a couple of years. I heard about Continuing Care Retirement Communities, but don’t know much about them. Can you tell me more […]
Comparing Aging-in-Place vs. Assisted Living
Q. My father passed away last year, and my mother has lived alone ever since. Her colonial-style home is becoming difficult to navigate due to her mobility issues. She has fallen several times and we are worried about her. She would like to continue to live in her home and age-in-place, but some major modifications […]
“Confusion Over Medicare Improvement Standard Persists”- Case Reintroduced and New Settlement Reached
Q. My father had a pretty major stroke several weeks ago. After being hospitalized for about 4 days, he was sent to a nursing home for rehab and has been receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. He is still unable to swallow on his own, so he is hooked up to a feeding […]
Spreading the Love: Dementia Patients Find Comfort in Pets and Family Visits
Renee Eder, our public relations director, has a history of dementia in her family, including her paternal grandmother, uncles, and aunts, and she knows about the love and compassion those with the disease need. During the holidays this past year, Renee and her daughter, Emma, led Emma’s second grade class in making gingerbread houses, and […]
Cost of Long-Term Care Insurance is Increasing. . . Even More than Before!
Q. Our neighbors are both retired Federal employees. Recently, when we had dinner with them, the topic of long-term care insurance came up, and they told us about a huge rate increase last year. Now, they are paying MORE THAN DOUBLE the cost of their 2016 premium to keep their same benefits — a lot of […]
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 […]
CMS Issues Final Rules for Home Health Agencies and Patients’ Rights
Bill is considering bringing in a home health aide to help with his mother, Nancy, who has limited mobility from Parkinson’s disease. He was a little hesitant at first, because he was concerned about quality of care. He has been the one who has been solely caring for her for years, and was worried […]
New Nursing Home Rules Offer Residents More Control of Their Care
Mark has been a loving caregiver for his mother, Roberta, who has had Alzheimer’s for over five years. Roberta now needs more care than Mark can provide. Mark has spent lots of time and energy seeking quality options in long-term skilled nursing facilities, with “person-centered” care being of utmost importance to him. Person-centered care is […]
Implications of ACA Repeal for Seniors
Q. It is clear that the Republican congesss wants to pass a measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) outright. In my view, the ACA has been good for seniors because it eliminates pre-existing condition exclusions, keeps children on parents’ policies to age 26, eliminates gender discrimination in pricing, and provides significantly more preventive […]
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 […]
Gift and Estate Tax Exclusion Amounts for 2017
Dear Angel, I noticed you sent out the new key elder law numbers last week, but I did not see anything about gift and estate tax exclusion amounts for 2017. What are the new gift and estate tax exclusion numbers for 2017, and how do they compare to the current ones? S. “Tate” Taxx —– […]
The Amazing Power of Stem Cells for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Other Diseases
Andrea’s father has had Parkinson’s for more than 15 years. When she visits him, she notices his motor skills are diminishing and he is becoming quite difficult to understand. She holds back her tears, as she remembers the man who used to play football with her brothers and who ran 10Ks to help others with […]
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 […]
The Death of Long-Term Care Insurance?
Maureen’s husband is retiring within the next few years, and her family is now planning in advance for long-term care, in case the need should arise in the future. Recently, in doing some research on long-term care insurance, Maureen read that John Hancock is leaving the long-term care market early next year. She couldn’t believe […]
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 […]
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 […]
CMS Finalizes Commitment to Person-Centered Care for Nursing Home Residents
Q. My father has Alzheimer’s, and he is no longer able to live safely on his own. Since my mother died, I have been his caregiver, and although trusting his care to strangers isn’t going to be easy, I know a nursing home is the right place for him at this time. My husband and […]
Hospice Care for Healthier Patients. . . Something Isn’t Right!
Linda Rodgers was shocked to see her father in so much pain when she visited him at his hospice facility. In a letter she wrote to the editor of USA Today, she described how her father had his pain controlled by medication while in the hospital, before admission to hospice, but was in severe pain […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- …
- 11
- Next Page »