Most individuals think they’ll never find themselves or their loved ones on Medicaid. However, the cost of long-term care is so exorbitant that many middle-income seniors turn to Medicaid to pay for their care in assisted living and nursing facilities. Medicaid is complex, with intricate rules that require special attention and planning.» Read More

I was recently speaking with my millennial son about a close friend whose elderly mother was having a health emergency. Her mom, Rita, lives in an apartment and has a caregiver during the day but has refused help at night. Rita could not be alone, and my friend had to cancel her plans and stay up all night with her mom and then go to her demanding job the next day.» Read More

I get asked some version of this question fairly frequently. I generally reassure clients that most facilities simply require you to pay month-to-month, and you can leave at any time. Now I may have to change my response, as news broke this week that a New Jersey woman allegedly had all her assets stolen by the very entity she trusted to care for her.» Read More

On Aug. 10, 2022, President Biden signed into law a monumental expansion in VA health care and benefits. The full name of the law is The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.

The best-known provisions of the law are those that add more than 20 new medical conditions that result in presumptive eligibility for service-connected disability benefits.» Read More

This week, I had two experiences, one in my practice and one in my personal life, that reiterated how challenging our health care system is. First, I had to tell a client that while I could get her 19-year-old son DDD services, there is nothing I could do to get him covered by Medicaid during the two-year waiting period for him to become Medicare eligible.*» Read More

The world of professionals who work with seniors is abuzz over the film I Care a Lot. The film tells the story of a private guardian who preys on older adults. She moves them to long-term care facilities when they do not need such care and exploits them financially.» Read More

It had been over a year since our geriatric social worker, Lori, and I first met with and wrote about our client Jane, who came to see us because she was concerned about her parents. Since that time there have been many more Janes, all facing similar challenges.» Read More

Should I Consent to My Ward/Loved One Getting Vaccinated?

Remember that you are obligated to consult your ward and apply the substituted judgment standard; that means making the decision based on their previously expressed wishes and values, not what you or their physician thinks is best for them.» Read More

In recent days, The New York Times has devoted several articles to the long-term care industry and its failure in the pandemic. (See “This Is Why Nursing Homes Failed So Badly,” “Nursing Home Patients Are Dying of Loneliness,” and “Push for Profits Left Nursing Homes Struggling to Provide Care.”)» Read More

As COVID cases surge again, many clients have expressed concerns about loved ones requiring long-term care. Families are naturally hesitant to consider facility placement. Facilities are definitely better prepared now than in the spring, and most have so far been able to keep cases under control.» Read More