If you have a family member who is slowly approaching the end of life, you may be considering the use of hospice care services. It can be extremely upsetting and stressful as your loved one’s disease continues to take over. In addition, it can also be painful and scary for your loved one as well. Hospice care has many benefits and can help both the patient and his or her family. Take a look at some of the information below, to better understand the use of this service. If you have any … [Read more...] about How Hospice Services Help Families (part 1 of 2)
Elder Law
Help Your Parents Organize Their Documents and Other Affairs
It can be stressful trying to locate estate planning documents and other important files during a time of upset. It’s important to make sure that your parents have all of their affairs organized as they continue to age. Organization, not only allows them to have information that they may need easily available, it better ensures important documents are available in the event of a crisis. If you have any questions, or if you’d like to get tips on how to help your parents with their estate … [Read more...] about Help Your Parents Organize Their Documents and Other Affairs
BEING THANKFUL FOR CAREGIVERS
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the persons and things we should appreciate and be thankful for. Among those are the caregivers who assist loved ones on a daily basis. It is appropriate that November is National Long-term Care Awareness Month. The number of professional caregivers and care-giving services has increased along with our growing elderly population. However, the majority of caregivers in the United States still are family members or friends. If that is true in your family, … [Read more...] about BEING THANKFUL FOR CAREGIVERS
Study Concludes Care Is Worse at For-Profit Nursing Homes
Realizing that a spouse, parent, or other loved one has reached a point at which you can no longer provide the level of care needed, is never easy. The next step is equally difficult – choosing a nursing home. Of course, you want the best care possible for your loved one. Like many people, you may make the assumption that a for-profit nursing home would provide a better quality of care for your loved one. According to a recent study, however, you would be mistaken. The study concludes that the … [Read more...] about Study Concludes Care Is Worse at For-Profit Nursing Homes
Alzheimer’s Disease: Choosing a Long Term Care Facility
If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease who can no longer be cared for at home, make sure that he or she is getting the best care possible in a long term care facility. It’s important that you carefully research so that you can find a facility that will meet all of your loved one’s needs. Take a look at the following information to learn more. If you have any questions, or if you’d like to discuss long term care options, contact an elder law attorney. There are many long term care … [Read more...] about Alzheimer’s Disease: Choosing a Long Term Care Facility
New VA Rules Changes Sharply Restrict Eligibility for Needs-Based Pension Benefits
Three and a half years after announcing draft rule changes, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has finalized new rules, effective October 18, 2018, that establish, among other things, a new asset limit test, a novel look-back period and penalties on claimants applying for VA needs-based benefits who are found to have violated these rules. The new rules apply to what is known as the Improved Pension program, commonly referred to as “Aid and Attendance” and “Housebound” benefits. These … [Read more...] about New VA Rules Changes Sharply Restrict Eligibility for Needs-Based Pension Benefits
A Primer on Medi-Cal Long Term Care Planning (Part 2 of 2)
In Part 1, we provided an overview of the Medi-Cal Long Term Care program and its eligibility requirements. In this installment, we will focus on specific planning strategies. When Should You Plan for Medi-Cal Long Term Care? It is never too late to get help with Medi-Cal planning, even if you or your loved one is already in a nursing home. However, the sooner you begin to plan, the better. Estate planning and elder law attorneys divide Medi-Cal planning into two categories based on how … [Read more...] about A Primer on Medi-Cal Long Term Care Planning (Part 2 of 2)
Seniors Fear Waiting Too Long to Move to Assisted Living
Whether you are a senior yourself, or you are the loved one of one, the subject of moving to a “retirement” or “assisted living” community is bound to come up at some point. Putting off the decision to move to an assisted living community is understandable – most people prefer to remain in their own home as long as possible. As a recent news article discusses though, waiting too long to consider making the move to an assisted living facility may come at a price, and that price may just be the … [Read more...] about Seniors Fear Waiting Too Long to Move to Assisted Living
What Can I Do If I Suspect My Mother Is Being Abused at the Nursing Home?
Making the decision to place a parent in a nursing home is often one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make. Once the decision is made, continuing to worry about the quality of care your parent is receiving at the facility is fairly normal. What happens though, if you start to believe that your concerns have merit? What do you do if you suspect, for example, that your mother is actually being abused at the nursing home? Consider the following if you suspect your parent or other loved … [Read more...] about What Can I Do If I Suspect My Mother Is Being Abused at the Nursing Home?
A Primer on Medi-Cal Long Term Care Planning (Part 1 of 2)
If you are concerned about long term care costs, you are not alone. According to the study Aging in Place in America, more people over the age of 65 are afraid of moving into a nursing home than are afraid of death. One of the problems with our fears is that so many of us choose to ignore them. Ignoring the possible need for nursing home care means that you miss out on the valuable chance to plan ahead. Not only does planning ahead let you shape what your nursing home experience might look … [Read more...] about A Primer on Medi-Cal Long Term Care Planning (Part 1 of 2)
