Archive for April 2017
Stress Getting You Down?
Out of time! Sandwich generation! Lack of sleep! Sound familiar? Caregiver stress research is offering you a few tips. (1) Plan tasks strategically by creating a plan for ongoing duties. Be organized and combine projects when possible. (2) Keep your car stocked with supplies. By keeping helpful items in the trunk that are easily accessible,…
Read MoreNursing Home Medicaid for Married Couples—What if the Well Spouse is Still Working
This whole month we have been exploring Nursing Home Medicaid eligibility questions for Married Couples. The Medicaid rules are confusing, and this is especially true for married couples. In recent blogs and newsletters, we have addressed income issues for married couples when one spouse is seeking Nursing Home Medicaid. Adding to the complexity, let’s consider…
Read MoreStroke and Dementia Risks from Soda
New research studies are suggesting health risks associated with both artificially sweetened drinks and sugary sodas. Although there is not an actual connection between risk of stroke and dementia associated with drinking the sodas, the American Heart association indicates there may be a link, with greater work needed to confirm their theory. There is growing…
Read MoreStretch Yourself to Succeed
It is time to stop worrying about what you don’t have and to start being productive with what you already do have. Realize that having less can jump-start you to become more creative. You are forced to view problems and solutions in a new light and perhaps will discover a better approach. Research shows that…
Read MoreHelp for Sundowning
Many Alzheimer’s patients experience a late afternoon or early evening change in personality. Called sundowning, a change in light seems to trigger a cognitive response that gets progressively worse as the hours of the day go on, but remedies itself by morning. Doctors are unsure of why it happens, but it’s more likely to happen…
Read MoreNursing Home Medicaid for Married Couples—Allowable Expenditures
We have mentioned that many nursing home residents pay their whole income, minus $50, to the nursing home leaving Medicaid to pay the remainder of the nursing home bill. In addition to the $50 personal needs allowance, Georgia allows its nursing home residents who are receiving Medicaid benefits to also pay certain bills out of…
Read MoreAlzheimer’s Research to Focus on Prevention
Prevention of Alzheimer’s is a more likely outcome than finding a cure, according to David Geldmacher, MD, director of the Division of Memory Disorders in the Department of Neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Effort at finding a cure for Alzheimer’s is still a goal, but due to advanced learning in the…
Read MoreNursing Home Medicaid for Married Couples—Understanding the QIT
We are continuing our series of newsletters and blogs on Nursing Home Medicaid for Married Couples. The eligibility rules for Medicaid can be confusing, and this is especially true if the person seeking Medicaid has a spouse. In today’s blog, we want to address how the QIT (the Qualified Income Trust, or Miller Trust) is…
Read MoreFDA Approval Causes Concern
The FDA, (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has empowered individuals by authorizing direct access to information about genetic health risks through tests provided by 23andMe, a personal genetics company. The company offers information about genetic mutations and DNA variations that have been shown to increase the risk of disease. Although the FDA approved the 23andMe…
Read MoreNew Findings on a Root Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease
The sticky plaques made up of the protein called beta-amyloid fill the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. A group of Harvard scientists believe the plaques may form a protection to the brain from viruses, bacteria or other pathogens instead of being harmful. Their study suggests that the disease may be triggered when the brain’s immune system…
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