You approach the magical age of 65 and are now Medicare eligible. The quandary now is which Medicare coverage option best suits you. This may seem like an overwhelming decision process but please know that you are not alone. Many of my clients have frustrations with this very same task and I [...] - Read More

In the spirit of new beginnings, and getting our affairs in order, my first article of the year focuses on a simple inquiry for those that have executed a Last Will & Testament (“Will”).  That inquiry is whether a Will is self-proved.   A “self-proved Will” is a type of Will that is signed by the testator [...] - Read More

This article addresses the following dilemma:  An elderly individual has an illness or injury, such as a stroke, and the family is informed that their loved one needs to be in a nursing home for rehabilitative purposes.  After 100 days or less of rehab, the patient’s doctor makes the determination that the patient is not [...] - Read More

A common question that many of elder law clients ask is when Medicare Part A benefits will stop paying for rehabilitative care received in a long-term care facility following a hospitalization. The easiest and most general way for me to explain Medicare in this context is that these specific benefits are for short-term “skilled [...] - Read More

When economic times are tough, nonprofit and charitable organizations often suffer the most. It’s often difficult enough for many of these organizations to survive and accomplish all the good they do for the community when economic times are great. However, when families have less money in their bank account, they logically have less [...] - Read More

I didn’t have to become an Elder Law attorney to learn that most people possess a vision of aging that usually depicts a period of rest and pleasure within the comfortable confines of their own home. Even at my young age, I dream of sitting on that porch swing one day, watching the time pass [...] - Read More

Upon stopping by to see my friend Betty recently, I noticed that she seemed energetic and had a glow about her. I was wondering what she was doing that had her looking so happy and started thinking about what might be new in her life. Then it came to me. I knew that she had [...] - Read More

One of the first steps you should take in any type of Medicaid planning is to get organized. The first organizational task in Medicaid planning is to locate your estate planning documents. In other words, do you know where you last placed these documents, and better yet, can you find them now? Common sense tells us [...] - Read More

The Medicaid “Look Back” period is often a baffling segment of time that keeps elderly clients and their families awake at night. Even the name itself has a disturbing connotation. Is the government (aka Big Brother) always watching? Often, this worry is unfounded, so it’s important to understand what the “Look Back” period is and [...] - Read More

“Do I need to sell my home?”  This is one of the questions I am repeatedly asked when clients enter a nursing home and are looking to qualify for Medicaid to help pay for nursing home costs. The answer to this question is not exactly simple. Not to mention, there are many myths that are circulated [...] - Read More