How Getting the Right Advice Can Save You $500,000
A recent client of ours presented the following very common fact pattern. Jack and Diane are in their early 60’s. Diane was diagnosed in her 50’s with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease and now needs nursing home care. The couple have a primary home, a small vacation home at the Jersey
Are You Walking into the Medicaid Office Blindfolded?
Here’s the scenario. Mary calls because Dad’s money is going to run out in a few months. She is anticipating the need for Medicaid but wants to get the jump on things by applying now because she heard it can take several months to qualify. My answer is that you
Don’t Make the Same Mistake Bill Made
The world is ever changing, and in recent years, with the technology boom, it seems that the rate of change has increased dramatically. In the long term care world, we are seeing the same thing, and not in a good way. We are receiving more calls lately from people in
Underground Storage Tanks and Long Term Care?
It just keeps getting worse doesn’t it? I’m talking about the economy and our federal, state and local governments’ inability to balance their budgets and provide the services and assistance they have provided in the past and promise to provide in the future. And is why you can’t expect the
OK, I Can Keep My Home – But Can I Sell It?
A very common question I get from clients and prospects in the following situation. We are working towards qualifying Betty’s husband, Joe, for nursing home Medicaid. I explained to Betty that as long as she is living in the marital home she can keep it. But she will lose some
A Mom Without a Home?
Mary called with the following story. Mom had sold her home in New Jersey 8 years ago. The plan was for Mom to live with Mary in New York. However, her health deteriorated rapidly and she never moved in with Mary, instead living in an assisted living facility in New
More Medicaid Changes Coming?
Readers of my blog know that I have written often of the need to plan ahead because nobody, especially the government, is going to bail you out. The last round of changes to the Medicaid program were made more than 5 years ago and have had a dire impact on
Failing To Tie Up Loose Ends
Tying up legal loose ends is so important.  Mary and John had been divorced 15 years ago. They had split their assets, with John keeping his retirement account and Mary keeping the house. John now needs nursing home care. “It shouldn’t be a problem”, I told Mary. “He’ll need to
But Mom Won’t Live to 100 – or Will She? (Part 2)
Last week we were discussing Mary and her mom. Mary opted not to do long term care planning for her mom at age 95. At age 100 she called me again. We met and Mary asked me, again about long term care planning. I told her that Mom would need
“But Mom Won’t Live to 100 – Or Will She?”
Quite often when explaining long term care planning to the family member of an aging senior, specifically when I mention the 5 year Medicaid look back, the person will tell me that “Mom won’t live that long”. Of course, no one can predict the future with any certainty so, logically,