Retiring to another country can be a very attractive option. Lower cost of living and health care expenses along with exotic locales and temperate climates persuade many seniors to retire outside of the United States. If you want to ensure a smooth transition, however, there are many issues to consider and steps to take before […]
For most people, the durable power of attorney is the most important estate planning instrument available — even more useful than a will. A power of attorney allows a person you appoint — your “attorney-in-fact” or “agent” — to act in place of you – the “principal” — for financial purposes when and if you […]
Medicaid’s RulesIn order to be eligible for Medicaid, you cannot have recently transferred assets. Congress does not want you to move into a nursing home on Monday, give all your money to your children (or whomever) on Tuesday, and qualify for Medicaid on Wednesday. So it has imposed a penalty on people who transfer assets […]
Some 29 states currently have laws making adult children responsible for their parents if their parents can’t afford to take care of themselves. These “filial responsibility” laws have rarely been enforced, but six years ago when federal rules made it more difficult to qualify for Medicaid long-term care coverage, some elder law attorneys predicted that nursing homes would start using […]
A power of attorney may seem like a simple document, but there are several important decisions that need to be made when creating one. From whom to appoint to what powers to grant, care and consideration should be put into each choice.A power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents you […]
Nowadays, we are all inundated with technology. It can certainly be confusing keeping track of all the passwords and PIN numbers we need in order to read our emails, access financial information, or even to simply take out cash from an ATM machine. That confusion is made worse when security concerns mandate that passwords are […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has updated the way it determines eligibility for VA health care benefits, making it easier for many veterans to get access to the benefits. The VA will no longer use the veteran’s net worth as a factor to determine eligibility and copayments. Previously, veterans who did not fit into […]
In most states, transferring your house to your children (or someone else) may lead to a Medicaid penalty period, which would make you ineligible for Medicaid for a period of time. However, there are circumstances in which transferring a house will not result in a penalty period. One of those circumstances is if the Medicaid applicant […]
A 79 year old woman named Kay was afflicted with some arthritis in her knees, but was generally in good health and enjoyed her daily walks and traveling. On a recent trip overseas last year, she missed a step and lost her footing. She could no longer stand; and with that misstep, Kay suffered multiple […]
Teenager Kenneth Shinozuka knew that he wanted to find a way to alleviate the fear his family felt when his grandfather wandered away from his home. His grandfather lives with Alzheimer’s disease and wandering is a behavior affecting many patients in all stages of the disease. Statistics cited by the Alzheimer’s Association reveal that 45% […]