Immediate annuities are among the tools elder law attorneys use to help married nursing home residents qualify for Medicaid coverage while protecting the standard of living of the healthy spouse and to help preserve assets for the families of unmarried or widowed nursing home residents. Immediate annuities can help Medicaid applicants in two basic ways: […]
Many of our clients have approached us for advice about nursing home placement for a loved one. Part One of this blog explored five common problems outlined in Justice in Aging’s 2005 article “20 Common Nursing Home Problems—and How To Resolve Them.” Part Two will highlight five more issues to consider. #6 Forcing Family Members […]
Insurance agents and financial institutions often advertise annuities as the perfect way to generate retirement income. While annuities can be a valuable retirement tool, if you are buying an annuity as part of a Medicaid planning strategy, you need to fully understand what you are getting. And whether an annuity makes sense as part of […]
As we stress often to families in our practice, planning for and dealing with the significant challenges and difficulties of long-term care is a daunting process. The complexities of very complicated state and federal Medicaid laws and regulations present many pitfalls for those who try to engage in that process on their own without working […]
When faced with long-term nursing home placement, countless individuals and their loved ones lament having to consider them in the first place. However, in many cases, the 24-hour supervision and specialized services provided in these facilities are essential elements of necessary long-term care. It is quite simply not always a safe option to reside in […]
Since the purpose of a Will is to document your wishes for who should be the executor and who should receive your solely-owned assets after you die, it should be a fairly straightforward matter to change that document if you later change your mind, right? Yes, and no. Like many types of legal documents, in […]
Witnessing the struggles of a loved one living with dementia is tremendously difficult. Emotions run high when experiencing the changes in a loved one as they move through the progressive stages of the disease. These are very relatable experiences among a growing community of caregivers. Another very relatable experience that most humans share is being […]
One advertising campaign that has impacted our society is summarized in the exclamation, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” What image does that sentence call to mind? An elderly woman, alone in her home and frightened by a sudden need for emergency services. Falls can happen to any of us, but the elderly, especially […]
The experience of growing older is different for us all. Our health, history, and support systems can all have significant impacts on the aging process. As we age, there is an increased likelihood that we will endure the death of a loved one and need to cope with chronic health conditions. Depression is one chronic […]
A recent court decision from the Nebraska Supreme Court shows the perils of not planning for long term care before there is a problem. For example: a now divorced 94-year-old must pay so much alimony that it brings his income below the poverty level and the only purpose of the alimony is to pay his […]