Keystone Blog
Realistic Options for Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-term care insurance (LTCI) is an important and valuable tool to help to preserve family wealth, while getting necessary care in response to increasing frailty. At the very least, home care becomes a statistically probable need for those who have the good fortune...
When To See An Elder Law Attorney
An elder law attorney is often associated with negative connotations and events, such as the loss of independence and a reminder of our own mortality. However, many people would probably agree that planning for the future is a wise idea. The challenge is that,...
The Importance of Inspecting Your Power of Attorney
Not long ago I took my 2000 Ford Explorer for inspection and was told it needed new tires. I was shocked because it seemed that only a few years ago I put new tires on it, and this car is driven barely 3,000 miles a year. But what I recalled as only being a few years...
Medical Assistance Planning For a Couple: A Case Study
As you may have read in our article published last week, handling the issues that surround a loved one who needs skilled nursing care can be very confusing, overwhelming, and expensive. There can be so many issues that it may be difficult to know where to begin and...
Planning for Payment of Nursing Home Costs
Nearly anyone who is a long-term care resident of a skilled nursing home can immediately apply for Medicaid to pay for the care. To do so, an applicant who is not yet impoverished must shuffle assets according to a complex method which has been approved by federal...
The Process for Medicare Appeals
What is Medicare? Medicare is the federal health insurance program for individuals who are 65 or older, certain younger individuals with disabilities, and people with end stage renal disease. It is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),...
Nursing Home Star Ratings
The month of May has several designations which are significant for older adults, including Older Americans Month, Elder Law Month, and National Nursing Home Week (May 14-20th). These “celebrations” offer the opportunity for folks to share gratitude for the...
Advance Care Planning: “It Always Seems Too Early, Until It’s Too Late”
Which of the following statements do you believe to be true? Doctors and nurses should do everything possible to save the life of a patient in all circumstances. Sometimes there are circumstances in which a person should be allowed to die. This question was posed as...
Held Hostage by Hoarding Part II – Keystone Elder Law
Last week’s column addressed some background information related to the disorder of hoarding. Many people with this disorder do not recognize the health and safety issues which can result from excessive hoarding, or the emotional distress that others in the household...
Held Hostage by Hoarding – Keystone Elder Law
The coming of spring is sometimes associated with the ritual of a thorough housecleaning. Spring cleaning may be connected historically to the Iranians and Chinese, who clean their homes in anticipation of the start of a new year; or to the Jewish culture, in which...
