Mom Has $1,000,000. She’ll Never Run Out of Money (Part 1)
Paul called concerning his 88 year old mother who needs nursing home care. “She doesn’t have a power of attorney. I think she needs one”, he said. I concurred but our conversation didn’t stop there. As we always do, I asked him about Mom’s finances. “Her income consists of Social
No Luck with Medicaid? VA to the Rescue
Karl had been in an assisted living facility for several years and doing well there. His family felt fortunate. Although Karl didn’t have much in the way of assets he did have income from Social Security and a pension, totaling $5000. He also had a long term care insurance policy
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
It was a call I received a number of years ago but one I’ll always remember. Don called regarding his mother’s need for long term care. Her health had been slowly declining but she was still living at home. Her investments were dwindling and she needed increase care. It was
COLA Increase Returns in 2012
The last 2 years have been especially tough on seniors, especially those on fixed incomes. That’s because there has been no cost of living increase since 2009 so Social Security benefits for millions of Americans have remained the same. Next year, however, the government has announced a 3.6% cost of
Death of a Guardian
Judy and her husband, Bob, had been appointed guardians for their son, Bill, years ago when he turned 18. Bill suffered a brain injury during his delivery at birth and had the mental capacity of an 8 year old. Eventually, Judy and Bob placed Bill in a group home where
Harry’s Law – Hollywood and Elder Law Collide (Part 2)
So, last week we were talking about Gloria and Abe, the subject of an elder law plot line on the NBC drama, Harry’s Law. Gloria wants to divorce Abe because she can’t afford the long term care that Abe needs without selling their house and leaving her destitute. A discussion
“Harry’s Law” – Hollywood and Elder Law Collide
Over the years, not surprisingly, there have been many televisions series that focus on the legal profession. The stories are interesting, entertaining and often emotional. LA Law was a popular show back when I was in law school. Currently, Kathy Bates stars in Harry’s Law, which focuses on Harriet “Harry”:
Maxwell Smart with Alzheimers?
I was a big fan of Get Smart, the TV show from the 1960’s that aired in reruns through the 1980’s. The main characters were two government secret agents. Actor Don Adams played Agent 86 and his female partner, Agent 99, was played by Barbara Feldon. (Steve Carell and Anne
An Opportunity You Don’t Want to Pass Up
This is a special time of year.  No, I’m not talking about Halloween or the traditional holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. It is Medicare’s open enrollment period, a once a year special event. Medicare is one of the many government programs that can be maddeningly confusing. There are so
End of the World? Fat Chance
I was talking to Warren the other day about long term care and he said – jokingly, I think – that he didn’t need to plan because the end of the world was coming, October 21 to be specific. Usually, I hear people say that the government will bail them