Reverse Mortgages – Another Look in Today’s Economic Climate
Mom and Dad are living in their home but their health is failing. They do not yet need nursing home level care, but do need some assistance on a daily basis. Their children are running back and forth helping to provide care but it is just too difficult to do
Transferring Assets – A Real Life Picture
When I talk with people about long term care and the Medicaid program I sometimes hear very strong opinions that "it is wrong to transfer assets in order to qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care". The person making the statement, however, typically hasnât really given any thought
Why are Some Wills 2 Pages and Others 20 – The Alternate Executor
Very often, when I prepare wills, powers of attorney and health care directives (living wills) for clients they react with surprise when they see the length of my documents. "Why", they say, "is the will you are preparing 20+ pages when my previous one was only 2?" "The document is
Elder Law Today Podcast Show #13 Married Couple – Early Action Long Term Care Planning
In the first show of Season 2 of his Elder Law Today Podcast, by listener request, Yale Hauptman has modified the format and shortened the length of his audio podcast. In a concise 10 minutes, Yale presents a common scenario that many families today are faced with. Dad has just recently been diagnosed with early
Alzheimer’s Disease – A Long Term Care Planning Lesson
Mom is in her late 40's and divorced. She owns her own home worth approximately $250,000 but with a substantial mortgage with a balance of $150,000. Probably describes a lot of people. Except that Mom has Alzheimerâs. While the disease mostly affects the elderly, early onset Alzheimerâs is not uncommon.
The Problem of Second Marriages and Long Term Care
A very common scenario we see is what Iâll call the case of the late in life second marriage. We all need companionship, especially after a spouse has died or after going through divorce. Itâs lonely being alone. So we have Joe and Mary. They marry in their 60âs. He has
The Savages
This weekend I rented an excellent movie entitled "The Savages". Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney and Philip Bosco, it is the story of a brother and sister, estranged from their father, who receive a call when Dad's girlfriend, whom he has been living with for 20 years, dies. Dad has
Elder Law Today Podcast Show #11 The Current Economic Crisis. What Does it Mean for Medicaid and Long Term Care
Much has happened in both the economic and political arenas since the last show, including the steep drop in the stock markets and the election of President Obama and changing of power in Congress from Republican to Democrat. In show number 11 of his podcast, Elder Law Today, practicing elder
Son Responsible For Mom’s Nursing Home Bill
Many times the children of my elderly clients ask whether they can be held responsible for Mom or Dadâs nursing home bill. My answer always was that there wasnât anything to worry about unless you take your parents money. That no longer appears to be the case. A recent
The Risk of Going Through Medicaid Application Process Alone
When money is running out and the family is faced with the need to apply for Medicaid to pay for long term care the question becomes âshould we do this ourselves or should we hire an elder law attorney to help?â Sometimes the hospital or the nursing home tells the