Elder Care ABC

by Mary Jane Stern The Medicare Prescription Drug program gives you a choice of different plans with different coverage and cost.  Medicare estimates that the extra help can be worth up to $3,900 per year. The extra help can help you pay for: Monthly premiums Annual deductibles Co-payments But, you must be enrolled in the [...]

If you are enrolled in Medicare Part B, you are probably aware in 2008 premiums were adjusted based on your income. Medicare generally uses your most recent tax return that you have filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  If you are enrolling during 2009, they will use your 2008 return and sometimes they can [...]

Paying for senior care stretches everyone’s budget.  Mary’s mom was running out of money.  Her Alzheimer’s disease meant that a caregiver stayed with her all day while her son was at work.  This was using up her money at a rate of $4000 per month, not to mention normal living expenses.  Mary heard about a [...]

Your careful planning can make for a smooth transition from your parents paying their care costs to using Medicaid.  Medicaid begins paying long term care costs when your parent has “spent down” his own money to the Medicaid asset caps. It can be hard to face that money is running out.  Caregiving is so time [...]

Thanks goodness, my mom and dad had the foresight to consider legal issues such as a will, living trust and financial and healthcare powers of attorney, earlier in life.   When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and could no longer manage her financial affairs, my dad served as her agent.

Because of improved health and the desire to stay active more and more senior citizens are looking for job opportunities. Certainly because of this the job market for those that are now over 50 is improving. Certainly projections are showing that by 2010 senior citizens will make up 1/3 of the entire workforce in the [...]

Throughout the caregiving transition, you will no doubt require the services of an elder care attorney. You may be surprised, or even angered if you, the primary caregiver, are not included in the discussions. Even if you set the appointment, if your charge is mentally impaired or if you are now the primary decision maker, [...]

Recently, I was at my father-in-law’s house when he answered the phone. I listened in the background as he listened, and then gave his address. Then he started to give his social security number… I clicked the receiver before he could finish. How could this financially savvy senior so easily be persuaded to give such [...]