VA Aid and Attendance Changes
09/26/18
If you haven't heard, the VA finally implemented the long awaited changes to the Aid and Attendance benefits available to veterans who served during active wartime, were honorably discharged, and who require assistance with two activities of daily living, and/or their surviving spouse. As a brief overview, beginning October 18, 2018, there is now a three year look back period for all transfers and gifts and asset limits will now be imposed. Take a look at the article attached for a good summary of the changes.
VA Aid and Attendance Changes
Medicare Open Enrollment
09/17/18
Medicare Open Enrollment will be here soon. Are you ready?
Medicare Open Enrollment
Tips for aging in place
09/7/18
Many people would like to remain in their home as long as possible. However, "the problem is that most of the nation’s housing is not designed to accommodate physical and cognitive challenges that come with aging." Please see below for tips on aging in place.
Tips for aging in place
Micro-chipping elders? Safety versus privacy
09/4/18
Medical technology is becoming implantable. Is it a good idea to use this technology on those with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's or dementia, for safety? Or is privacy and the right to be left alone being infringed?
Micro-chipping elders?
Single elders - How will they pay for long term care?
08/29/18
Long term care is not cheap and many seniors have heard horror stories about losing everything they worked a lifetime to acquire. "A recent survey found that 10% of seniors aging alone plan on using reverse mortgages to pay for long-term care costs." If you are a caregiver, child, or spouse or an elder, please do yourself a favor and call an elder law attorney to help plan for these events. Many stresses and pitfalls can likely be avoided with proper planning.
How are single elders paying for long term care?
Happy 83rd Birthday to Social Security
08/28/18
August 14, 2018, marked the 83rd anniversary of the Social Security Act. Check out this press release from the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) regarding this milestone.
83 years of Social Secuirty
Voting while in long term care?
08/13/18
Should long term care residents be allowed to vote in the 2018 mid-term elections and in future elections?
Voting while in long term care?
Jimmo Improvement Standard Checklist
08/9/18
Does a nursing home resident have to improve in order for Medicare to pay?
No! "Medicare coverage “does not turn on the presence or absence of a beneficiary’s potential for improvement, but rather on the beneficiary’s need for skilled care. Skilled care may be necessary to improve a patient’s condition, to maintain a patient’s current condition, or to prevent or slow further deterioration of the patient’s condition." Please click below for the Improvement Standard checklist.
Improvement Standard Checklist
"Granny Cams" in skilled nursing facilities?
08/2/18
Should "granny cams" be used at skilled nursing facilities?
https://www.mcknights.com/guest-columns/examining-the-issues-of-granny-cameras-in-snfs/article/783458/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MLT_DailyUpdate_20180801&hmSubId=2JEQgObqDbw1&email_hash=b5af15af8617f93d773f969167f093b3
Elderly Scams Continue
08/1/18
Here is a real life example written by The New Yorker journalist, David Owen, regarding his mother's experience with scams targeting the elderly.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/my-mother-and-her-scammer
Social Security Issues Warning About Scams Similar to IRS Scams
07/25/18
It may be summer, but the bad guys aren’t taking a vacation. The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, has issued a warning about an ongoing phone scam from thieves pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA)...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2018/07/20/social-security-issues-warning-about-scams-similar-to-those-irs-phone-scams/#3d7177fa4d7a
Welcome to our new website!
07/24/18
Thank you for taking the time to view our new website. Please check back frequently for updated blog posts regarding important elder law topics!
New Law Provides Free Security Freezes and Increased Fraud Alert Protection
07/13/18
On May 24, 2018, the President signed Public Law 115-174 into law. Section 301 of Public Law 115-174 amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to establish a new federal right for consumers to implement a security freeze of their credit file.
The freezes are free of charge. The new legislation is effective September 21, 2018.
Click here to read more.