Alternate Care Facilities (Part 2)
In last week’s post I discussed lesser known facilities that provide some level of long term care. One is a residential health care facility and another is a dementia care facility. They are categorized differently by the State of New Jersey for licensing purposes. But paying for them can also
Alternative Care Facilities (Part 1)
I recently made a visit to see a new facility opening in Livingston. The Society House is a single family home built to house 15 seniors in a group home type setting. The owners have applied but not yet received approval for licensing as a residential health
New Medicaid and VA Figures for 2020 (Part 1)
The Social Security Administration announced last month the cost of living adjustment for 2020. This adjustment is also applied to many of the government programs besides Social Security, that affect our clients’ lives. So here it is. Following an increase last year of 2.8%, this year the increase is smaller, only
Self-Proving Will (Part 2)
Last week I wrote about the process of probate and how easy it is to admit a will to probate without the need to appear before judge if it is a self-proving one. But what exactly is a self-proving will? New Jersey law sets out clear instructions on how to make
Self Proving Will (Part 1)
Probating a will is the process by which a will is presented before a court of law for the purpose of having it established to be the last will of the person who died. Probate means “to prove”. In New Jersey most wills do not need to be presented before
Tax Deductibility of Long Term Care Expenses (Part 2)
In last week’s post I was talking about the tax deductibility of long term care expenses. Some medical expenses can be deducted from gross income before calculating any tax due and owing. Long term care expenses can be deductible if within the definition set out by the IRS. (See last
Tax Deductibility of Long Term Care Expenses – Part 1
When clients seek out our advice on preserving assets while being able to pay for long term care, we spend much time discussing government benefits such as Medicaid and the VA Aid and Attendance programs and ways to qualify for them. There is, however, another important aspect to consider. When
Protecting the Home – Part 2
A continuation of last week’s topic concerns protecting the home when applying for Medicaid. I explained that John’s daughter, Amy should not have to sell her Dad’s home and spend down the proceeds before qualifying for Medicaid if Amy is living in the home and she intends to bring him
Protecting the Home – Part 1
I received a call last week which again highlights the risk of handling a Medicaid application on your own. As I often say, the application may appear to be easy but you never know when you’ll run into an issue or problem. When that happens it is important to have
Changing Demographics – Part 3
In last week’s post I explained the differences between domestic partnership, civil union and marriage when talking about the rights of same sex couples. So how does this impact the issues faced by aging LGBT seniors? Married vs. single has an impact on taxes. Different thresholds and rates apply to married