“What we have here is failure to communicate” Mr. (Cool Hand) Luke growled at the Captain. Cool Hand just would not cooperate and follow the rules. This is exactly what I continue to run into with many families that have begun to manage the care of a loved one. The caregiver is advised by someone […]
So, the big day is coming up; your 65th birthday. Yup, you and about 10,000 other Americans are going to turn 65 on the same day. Well, Uncle Sam has a gift for you called Medicare. It’s yours, you just have to apply for it within the six-month period leading up to your actual birthdate. […]
This is a quick review of a key elder care concept. Long Term Care Medicaid is a government benefit for the disabled, not the indigent. It pays for non-medical care in the home or in a facility. The prerequisite qualification criterion is a medical determination that the applicant is disabled in the sense that they […]
As an Elder Law attorney, I have learned that just because a person has dementia does not mean they cannot process information through all their senses. Do not casually discuss with others, in front of your loved one, that you are thinking about placing them into a nursing home. They may not understand the words […]
“Where do I start” is often the overwhelming question that swirls in the mind of a family caregiver of a loved one newly diagnosed with dementia. Endless hours are spent on Google looking for answers and resources. A highly rated resource that is available 24/7 is the Delaware Valley Alzheimer’s Association Help Line: 800.272.3900. Start […]
Medicare coverage for inpatient, end-of-life, Hospice care stops once the patient’s condition stabilizes and can be managed at home. Another way to say this is, when the need for inpatient skilled care is no longer necessary, Medicare coverage for that level of care will stop. This is the case even though the patient is in […]
A common scenario in Elder Law is where the applicant for Long Term Care Medicaid has an adult child living in a second home that they own, or owned in the past, in addition to their residence. This situation raises many different issues. If the applicant transferred title to the adult child, did the child […]
The Delaware Elder Law Center provides solutions to families managing the care of a disabled loved one. They are often frustrated, uncertain, doubtful, worried, angry, concerned, or anxious by the challenges of care management. Please call us; we can help. ______________________________________________________________ Frustrated Uncertain Doubtful Worried Angry Concerned Anxious
There are a lot of events that signal to adult children that things are changing for their parents. One of these is that a parent has fallen and ended up in the emergency room. Maybe it was just bad luck. But maybe there are underlying health problems that contributed to the fall. One thing for […]
Generally, the Medicaid five-year look back rule is triggered by filing an application for the benefit. On the Medicaid application, the applicant is required to report every gift made in the five-year period leading up to the application date. If an applicant made any gifts during the five years prior to the application date, they […]
I just had a family ask me a good question; what is the difference between a Medicaid specialist and an Elder Law Attorney? I answered “everything”. Elder Law attorneys are licensed, trained professionals who have fiduciary responsibilities to their clients. They are accountable for their actions to the Supreme Court of the state in which […]
Have you heard that Long Term Care Medicaid will pay the cost of care retroactively for up to three months? Yea, but what does this really mean and how is the rule actually applied? Understanding this rule correctly has a significant financial impact on the family and the facility. The retroactive payment rule is a […]