Posts by Hurley Elder Care Law
When 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…
Read MoreCommunication with the Elderly
Several tips on communication with elderly people may be helpful in coping with family relationships. Sometimes it is difficult to talk with elderly parents, especially when roles are reversed and the adult child is providing advice. Some helpful guidelines follow. Giving advice is best avoided if it hasn’t been asked for; let an outside person…
Read MoreThey Just Won’t Quit
Do Not Call doesn’t seem to work. Blocking doesn’t seem to work. What to do? Since January of this year, almost 6,000 scams involving phone calls have been reported to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker. As soon as one picks up the phone, their number is registered as active and can be sold for…
Read MoreMedicaid is not a D-I-Y Project
Our office receives regular calls from families asking us to intervene in Medicaid cases that have been denied. Often times, family members are handed a copy of the Medicaid application from a social worker in a nursing home or the nursing home admissions director, so they think they should just fill out the application and…
Read MoreToolkit for Diagnosis of Dementia
Primary-care doctors have a free online toolkit to aid them in detection and diagnosis of cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Developed by the Gerontological Society of America, the toolkit model is named KAER, a four-step method. Step one is KICKSTART, an introduction about memory loss to patients and families. Step two is ASSESS, in…
Read MoreSuperagers have Joie de Vivre
Why are some people superagers? One common factor is that they engage in demanding mental exercise, continually challenging themselves to learn new things outside of their comfort zone. They try new things that they wouldn’t have dared to do when younger, fearing failure. In addition, older adults generally are happy. Retirement likely is improving…
Read MoreCan’t I Just Give Away My Assets? Understanding the Penalty Period
After our last blog post about qualifying for nursing home Medicaid while owning a home, we received numerous questions about just giving the house away. Several sons and daughters were advised to just sign a quitclaim deed transferring mom or dad’s house to them before moving them into a nursing home. They thought that just…
Read MoreLocating Critical Information
A parent’s unexpected health event could precipitate an immediate need to get your hands on key information and secure valuables. Before something happens, it is a good time to talk to aging parents about what you may need to provide someday. Some parents are hesitant to discuss personal matters, even with their children. For insight…
Read MoreNational Parks Service – Senior Pass Price Increase
Buy now, if you wish to pay $10 for a Senior Pass, a lifetime benefit for admittance into our national parks and monuments. This is a real deal for U. S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over and hasn’t changed since 1994. This price is in effect through August 27th. But…….buy the pass…
Read MoreQualifying for Nursing Home Medicaid While Owning a Home
Is it true that I have to sell mom’s home before she can get Medicaid? We just received this question yesterday…and the day before that… and a few times last week… There is so much confusion about Medicaid, especially when it comes to home ownership. A nursing home resident can own a home and still…
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