Keystone Blog
Validation: Human Connections Despite Dementia
Various theories and approaches exist for working with individuals who are experiencing symptoms of dementia. Previous articles have discussed basic techniques which can influence personal interactions. One method which has not yet been considered is called...
Duties as a Fiduciary for Estate Planning
You may have heard the term “fiduciary” when reading about estate planning. Appointing another as fiduciary in your estate planning documents is a way to plan for future incapacity. However, you may not be aware of what it means to be a fiduciary and the high...
Keeping an Older Adult At Home
An older loved one is having difficulty managing in the family home. Decisions about finding support for your loved one, either through services which would allow the individual to remain at home or a move to another setting; are often fraught with emotion. This...
Estate Planning and Divorce
A common issue which arises involves a single person wanting to update his/her Estate Planning documents. He/She wants to update a Last Will and Testament (“Will”) because of a recent divorce. After someone updates the Will to exclude an ex-spouse, a common belief is...
Updating Estate Plan Beneficiaries
As we have entered the fall season and get ready to set our clocks back in November, here are some insights to motivate you to finish the year strong by making sure your estate plan is secure. The most important thing to consider when reviewing an estate plan is to...
Five Basic Approaches for Dementia Caregiving
Caring for an individual who is experiencing symptoms of dementia requires patience and ingenuity. Caregivers can easily become overwhelmed when trying to assist their loved ones who may be experiencing changes in memory, personality, judgement, reasoning, motivation,...
Opioids and Older Persons
Addicts who overdose from injecting opioids such as heroin and fentanyl are not usually older persons. But Medicare-age persons are part of “Dopesick,” Roanoke journalist Beth Macy’s new book about the spread of the opioid epidemic throughout rural areas proximate to...
Expanded Coverage for Medicare Advantage Plans
In April 2018, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an increase in the amount of payments towards Medicare Advantage Plans and expanded the definition for “primary health-related benefits.” While the increase in payments certainly benefits...
Prenuptial Agreements and Medicaid
It comes as a shock to many people when they learn that, in Pennsylvania and most other states, pre-nuptial agreements are disregarded if one of the spouses of that “second” marriage needs care in a skilled nursing facility which could qualify for Medicaid...
Policy Shifts Discourage Hospital Admission
The healthcare needs of retired Americans have led to growing costs of staggering proportions that are already too big to manage with an outcome which pleases all parties. Clearly, Congress, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), hospitals, and...
