Archive for August 2017
Do all Nursing Homes Accept Medicaid?
We often hear families talk about “Medicaid Nursing Homes” as if there are nursing homes in Georgia that are for residents relying on Medicaid. There is a fear behind this assumption that Medicaid beneficiaries are relegated to terrible nursing homes. Fortunately, this is a myth. Most nursing homes in Metro Atlanta are dual-certified for Medicare…
Read MoreNon-Medicinal Help for Acid Reflux
For the 50 million Americans who suffer from acid reflux, recommendations include non-medicinal remedies for alleviating heartburn, eliminating the dangerous side effects of proton pump inhibitors and antacids. While the solution includes modifying your lifestyle, eating to avoid reflux and reducing your medication, Dr. Jorge E. Rodriguez, gastroenterologist, has specific recommendations to follow without swallowing…
Read MoreEye Scan Indicates Alzheimer’s
Early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease exist within our eyes, according to researchers, meaning a non-invasive eye scan could tip us off to Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms occur. Alzheimer’s affects the retina — the back of the eye — similarly to how it affects the brain, notes neuroscience investigators at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California. Through a high-definition eye scan, the researchers found…
Read MoreAre retirement plans counted towards the $2,000 Medicaid limit?
Are retirement plans counted towards the $2,000 Medicaid limit? I have been told that my mom does not qualify for Medicaid because of her 401(k) plan. I’ve also been told that she can keep that fund and still get Medicaid. What do I do? I almost cashed her plan out last week. The rules about…
Read MoreHuman Diversity Peaks after 65
Our medical system does not reflect the fact that all old people are not the same. All Americans 65 and older are lumped into a single group, as if bodies and behaviors don’t change over the last half-century of life. Included in this group over 65 are the two fastest-growing segments of our population: the…
Read MoreFacebook Befriends Elder Orphans
There are about 5,000 elder orphans connected through a Facebook group, a group founded by Carol Marak, columnist and editor at SeniorCare.com. To belong to this group, you have to be 55 or over, living without a spouse, having no children (or having estranged children or living far away). What started this group was an…
Read MoreUnderstanding Medicaid Rules: Exempt Assets and Countable Assets
To qualify for nursing home Medicaid, applicants must pass some fairly strict tests on the amount of assets they own. While the Medicaid rules themselves are complicated and tricky, it’s safe to say that a single person will qualify for Medicaid as long as he/she has only exempt assets plus a small amount of cash…
Read MoreCremation Rate Increasing
Cremations are quickly becoming the choice for more and more families. For the first time, more Americans are being cremated than having traditional burials, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The cremation rate in 2016 achieved a milestone, edging past 50 percent to 50.2 percent, up from 48.5 percent in 2015, according to…
Read MoreFinancial Victimization of Elders
A report by the Wall Street Journal states that 43 percent of older Americans exhibit one or more signs of financial victimization. Yet, a Merrill Lynch study indicates that phone-scammers and other spammer schemes represent only about 4.5 percent of elder financial fraud. So where does the greatest percentage of financial victimization come from? Surprisingly,…
Read MoreWhen to Apply For Medicaid
I want to look at the case we mentioned last week again: Sarah applied for Medicaid on behalf of her father, Don. Don owned a home that he placed in an irrevocable trust in 2014. When he first moved to the nursing home, he had about $85,000 in his checking account and a few certificates…
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