Married Couples
Throughout June we see celebrations of Pride month. We honor LGBTQ+ voices and experiences and highlight some of the issues members of our community continue to face. Pride month is a great time to shine a light on the unique concerns of LGBTQ+ seniors. History of Pride Month In June 1969 a gay club, The Stonewall…
Read MoreWhat is a blended family? The simple definition of a blended family, often called a stepfamily, is a family unit where one or both parents have children from a previous relationship, but they have combined to form a new family. The parents may or may not have children with each other. (Think Brady Bunch!) While…
Read MoreWhat do Melinda and Bill Gates and MacKenzie and Jeff Bezos have in common? You may respond that they are ultra-rich billionaires, but another correct answer is both couples experienced a gray divorce. Over the next few weeks we will be exploring gray divorce and its impact on aging couples. What is Gray Divorce? Have…
Read MoreMr. Smith was shocked when he was told that his wife could be eligible for Medicaid. Although they have never been wealthy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith always worked decent paying jobs and saved for retirement in their IRAs. How could they be eligible for Medicaid?
Read MoreMedicaid’s rules for eligibility are complex and there are so many misunderstandings. Families often mistakenly believe that adding more account holders to the Medicaid applicant’s bank account will reduce their assets. We often hear things like this, “Well, I added myself to Momma’s checking account last year, so won’t Medicaid look at only ½ of…
Read MoreMoney, Death, and Medicaid—topics very few want to discuss. When it comes to planning ahead for retirement, long-term care needs or death, I have come to learn that few families ever approach these topics. Most of our families come to us in crisis – they have insufficient funds for retirement, no plan for their long-term…
Read MoreWe 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 MoreAre 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 MoreTo 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 MoreI 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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