It’s never fun to think about needing help taking care of yourself in the future. This is why we procrastinate when it comes to discussing long-term care until the need arises, often too late to do much about it. We all know we should start planning for long-term care now, so let me give you some reasons for getting started. People are living longer and are more likely to need long-term care. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70 percent of those … [Read more...] about Planning for Long Term Care
Pet Planning
Top Three Elder Law Answers
We would like to take this opportunity to answer three of the most commonly asked elder law questions. 1.) I have heard that elder law largely centers around the issue of long-term care and the costs involved. Doesn't Medicare pay for long-term care? This is a common misconception. Medicare will pay for as many as 100 days of convalescent care after surgery. It won't pay for a long-term stay in a nursing home or assisted living community. … [Read more...] about Top Three Elder Law Answers
Are Your Aging Parents Still Fully Capable?
There may well come a time when a role reversal occurs and you find yourself in a position where you have to take care of your parents or a single parent to one extent or another. Many people are proud and they do not want to tell their children that they are having difficulties either physically or cognitively. And of course, some people with cognitive problems are not fully aware of them. … [Read more...] about Are Your Aging Parents Still Fully Capable?
Long-Term Care: Do the Math
They say that the numbers don't lie, and this is certainly the case when considering the possibility of needing long-term care. Most people for example, expect to live until they’re at least 65. If you reach that birthday, studies show that men have a 60% chance of living until the age of 80. For a 65-year-old woman, that number increases to 71%. But the older you get, the more likely you are to need assistance. An estimated 70% of people over the age of 65 will require some sort of … [Read more...] about Long-Term Care: Do the Math
Medicaid: What You Can Keep in 2013
The Medicaid program will pay for long-term care if you can meet the eligibility requirements. Though the program is supposed to be in place for the protection of people who have virtually no financial resources you can indeed retain ownership of a significant store of property and still qualify. In fact, the majority of individuals who are residing in nursing homes utilize Medicaid to pay the bills. And, it should be noted that many of them retired with a reasonable store of financial … [Read more...] about Medicaid: What You Can Keep in 2013
Free Report Reveals How to Protect Your Assets and Preserve Your Legacy with Medicaid Planning
The fact is that you will probably need long-term care eventually after the age of 65. Given this reality, going forward without making any preparations for this contingency could be viewed as irresponsible. Why worry about long-term care costs when you will be eligible to enroll in the Medicare program as a senior citizen? The answer is quite simple: Medicare will not pay for a long-term stay in an assisted living facility. … [Read more...] about Free Report Reveals How to Protect Your Assets and Preserve Your Legacy with Medicaid Planning
Signing a Nursing Home Contract? Talk to a Lawyer
There was a recent court ruling in Connecticut that is of interest to people in the elder law community, and it sheds some light on the risks that you take when you enter into legally binding contracts. The case we are referring to is Cook Willow Health Center v. Judy Andrien. Ms. Andrien is the daughter of a woman who was in need of long-term care. She arranged for her mother to be admitted into the Cook Willow Health Center, which is a nursing home. At the time of admittance Andrien … [Read more...] about Signing a Nursing Home Contract? Talk to a Lawyer
Will Your Home’s Value Preclude You From Medicaid Eligibility?
When you hear that the upper resource limit for Medicaid eligibility is just $2000, you may feel as though there is no reason to apply because the value of your home alone exceeds this figure by a large margin. However, Medicaid planning attorneys will advise you to take pause before you assume that you cannot qualify for the program. Though there is indeed a countable resource limit of $2000 there are personal possessions that are not counted by Medicaid evaluators. The value of your home up … [Read more...] about Will Your Home’s Value Preclude You From Medicaid Eligibility?
Recent Court Ruling Provides Elder Law Lesson
Sometimes you hear about an elder law court case and though the outcome may not be favorable to a particular party it can open your eyes to some of the mistakes you can make. Just such a case was recently ruled upon in the state of Kentucky. Given the fact that the cost of long-term care is out of reach for a high percentage of individuals you have to take steps to prepare yourself in advance. One way to proceed is to purchase long-term care insurance. Though it can be expensive it can be a … [Read more...] about Recent Court Ruling Provides Elder Law Lesson
Nursing Home Costs May Become Overwhelming
Currently the costs of staying in a nursing home is one of the primary elder law issues of the day. The MetLife Mature Market Institute does research into the subject annually and according to their findings nursing home costs rose by 4.4% in 2011. … [Read more...] about Nursing Home Costs May Become Overwhelming
