Medical costs are on the rise across the country, despite efforts built into the new healthcare laws. For the elderly, it can be challenging to find the right Medicaid supplemental programs that can help keep them healthy and safe. Every dollar spent on home care, assisted living and nursing home care comes from one of the following four sources: Government programs, such as Medicaid, Veterans’ Benefits and Social SecurityInsurance coverage, including Life, Long Term Care, Medicare and other … [Read more...] about Medicaid Supplemental Programs
Changes to Nursing Home Ratings Review System
For more than a year, there have been requests made to the Government Accountability Office to provide insight into how it determines nursing home worthiness across the nation. Now, it has agreed to review the rating system used to rate nursing homes, according to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md and Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore. In August, 2014, a letter authored by Cummings was sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services … [Read more...] about Changes to Nursing Home Ratings Review System
Celebrity’s Daughter Pushes for Protection to Visit Ailing Parents
We know him as Colombo, but one woman knows Peter Falk as “Dad”. She’s on a mission to change the way visitation for ailing and elderly parents unfolds. Across the nation, we’ve seen a startling rise in adult children being denied access to their ailing parents. Now, though, several states are taking notice and moving forward with legislation that would open up visitation rights to children. It’s controversial in many step-families, but Catherine Falk aims to change it in order to level the … [Read more...] about Celebrity’s Daughter Pushes for Protection to Visit Ailing Parents
Are There Real Benefits in a Durable Power of Attorney?
A power of attorney serves many purposes and there are many different types of these important legal documents. One of the most confusing powers of attorney is the durable power of attorney. This week, we explore these estate planning documents, their benefits and any downsides so that you can make a better choice for you and your family. As you probably know, each state defines its own laws on most matters, including estate planning. There are a lot of moving parts but it’s important … [Read more...] about Are There Real Benefits in a Durable Power of Attorney?
Protecting Elderly Loved Ones in Nursing Homes
Most of us with elderly parents or loved ones have good experiences with nursing homes. The nurses and other staff are compassionate, kind and truly care for their patients. When a nursing home finds itself in the headlines for failing to care for their patients, it’s startling and cause even the most confident families stress as they wonder just how well their loved ones are cared for when they’re not there. Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced last week that her office had … [Read more...] about Protecting Elderly Loved Ones in Nursing Homes
What is the Grandparent Scam?
Unfortunately, we often hear of how elderly clients are scammed. As estate planning attorneys, our goal is to always protect our clients and provide guidance to their families. Scams against our aging population is nothing new, but recognizing the potential can go a long way in ensuring it doesn’t affect your loved one. This week, we take a look at what law enforcement is calling the “Grandparent Scam”. With baby boomers retiring, the number of elderly Americans is rising each year. This is … [Read more...] about What is the Grandparent Scam?
Retired and Homeless
When we think of retirement, we think of having our homes paid off, maybe a bit of fishing, travel and time with grandparents. Unfortunately, for a growing number of retirees who are reaching their elder years, homelessness is a very real fear. Are we on the verge of a new trend of retired and homeless? We know that millions of Americans face housing trouble. What many may not know is the elderly are struggling to make mortgage payments. Much of this stems from bad loans prior to the 2008 … [Read more...] about Retired and Homeless
Are Our Elderly Skipping Medications?
A full ten percent of Americans say they cannot afford to take the medications prescribed to them because of rising costs. Many will take less than instructed in order to “stretch” out the prescription or simply delay buying the medicine. Others don’t even consider the possibility of buying it later when they know they won’t have an additional $300 lying around. This is a dangerous trend, especially for our elderly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 15% of … [Read more...] about Are Our Elderly Skipping Medications?
Medicare Paying 15X More for One Drug
The cure for the liver disease hepatitis C is impressive, so much so that Medicare spent $4.5 billion last year on this new, though pricey, medication. For those with the disease, no amount is too much. But it’s also 15 times higher than what Medicaid spent the year before on older treatments for the disease, according to “previously undisclosed federal data”. With lawmakers screaming cutbacks at every turn, is it worth it to opt for the pricier, though newer, medication that serves the same … [Read more...] about Medicare Paying 15X More for One Drug
State of AL Opens Elder Abuse Investigation for Harper Lee
The moment it was announced renowned author Harper Lee had decided to publish another work, the literary community cheered. Almost simultaneously, questions about her ability to make such a decision began surfacing. For fans, we all hoped it wasn’t true. We love Harper Lee. We grew up on Harper Lee, despite her having published just one award winning work, To Kill a Mockingbird. The fact that she was an introvert and loathed the public eye was only endearing to her fans. Now, though, those … [Read more...] about State of AL Opens Elder Abuse Investigation for Harper Lee
