From the Medicaid inquiries our office receives we can tell there is a lot about Medicaid that sons and daughters who are caring for an elderly parent do not know. I hope the following information is helpful to you. A common misconception is that Medicaid recipients receive sub-par care. This is not true. With appropriate Continue Reading

My late father had a longtime friend, a retired kosher butcher, who lived down the hall in their South Jersey apartment building. Past 90, Manny was older and frailer than my father; he leaned on a cane and could barely see well enough to recognize faces. But every morning, and again in late afternoon, he Continue Reading

It’s the most serious of responsibilities to be bestowed upon you: the power to make medical decisions for your loved one in case he or she can’t. It’s called being a health care proxy, and it means you can make decisions and take actions that your loved one would if he or she were able. Continue Reading

There have been times these past few years when Samira Siddiqi couldn’t wait for Monday morning to get back to work. The days were a blur for her and her husband, Shaz, as they juggled their work — his as an allergist, hers for an IT company in Gaithersburg — and caring for not only Continue Reading

According to our senior living advisors, the holidays are a time of year when adult children visit their aging parents and loved ones and often discover that there has been a significant decline in their loved one’s ability to live independently. While there are various senior care services available, there is one particular option I’d Continue Reading

Many of us hold on to an idyllic vision of our golden years, imagining we'll be in good health and living self-sufficiently in our own home. But that scenario is likely to get dashed. On average, nearly 70 percent of 65 year-olds will eventually need some form of long-term care, according to the U.S. Department Continue Reading

More Americans may wind up helping Mom as she gets older, but a new poll shows the most stressful kind of caregiving is for a frail spouse. The population is rapidly aging, but people aren't doing much to get ready even though government figures show nearly 7 in 10 Americans will need long-term care at Continue Reading

According to senior living advisors, the holidays are a time of year when adult children visit their aging parents and loved ones and often discover that there has been a significant decline in their loved one’s ability to live independently. While there are various elder care options available, there is one particular option I’d like Continue Reading

Spurred by his experience with his mother, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner is again pitching legislation for Medicare to cover the cost of voluntary end-of-life care planning. The Virginia Democrat and Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, filed a bill Wednesday that would create a new Medicare benefit: reimbursement for medical professionals who participate with a Continue Reading

So how can you protect your elderly loved ones from financial abuse? For starters, be active in their lives and aware of who’s in their circle. Be especially vigilant of sudden “friends.” “Run background checks on caregivers or financial advisers,” said Julie M. Krawczyk, director of the Elder Financial Safety Center at the Senior Source Continue Reading