On August 17, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids. Devices for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss will be available in October 2022. The FDA’s rule follows President Biden’s Executive Order on...

Older adults have access to hundreds of federal and state benefits programs. Many retirees meet the requirements for these aids, yet do not know they are eligible and miss opportunities to receive assistance. Others can feel overwhelmed by complex application...

Doctors, nurses, and hospital staff work hard to care for their patients when they are sick or hurt. However, even when a procedure is done to save a patient’s life, a hospital cannot act without patient consent. If a patient cannot speak for themselves and express...

Seniors who rely on Medicaid and live in nursing homes receive a personal needs allowance — a monthly stipend the Medicaid recipient can use to pay for needs that Medicaid does not cover. Medicaid restricts the amount of the allowance and how it is used. If recipients...

If you are among the more than 49 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Part D, you may feel overwhelmed by the costs of your prescription drugs from one year to the next. Proposed legislation currently awaiting review by the Senate could bring you some relief in the...

Many senior citizens may need the services of a nursing home or at-home care at some point in their life. You might assume that government assistance or health insurance will step in and cover the cost if you cannot afford these services. Unfortunately, neither health...

Estate administration is the process of managing and distributing a person’s property (the “estate”) after death.  If the person had a will, the will goes through probate, which is the process by which the deceased person's property is passed to his or her heirs and...

A power of attorney is a very important estate planning tool, but in fact there are several different kinds of powers of attorney that can be used for different purposes. Before executing this crucial document, it is important to understand what your options are. A...

If your loved one is entering a nursing home, you may worry whether you could be liable for their care. Under federal law, a facility cannot require a family member or friend to co-sign an admission agreement and take on personal liability. However, some nursing homes...

A child may be eligible for Social Security benefits when at least one parent qualifies for Social Security retirement, disability, or death benefits. Children receive these benefits based on their parent's work records. In 2021, the Social Security Administration...

On July 8, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance that allows a deceased person’s estate to elect “portability” of their unused gift and estate tax exemption for up to five years after their death. So, if your spouse passed away less than five years...

Following the death of a family member, you may find yourself needing to sort through many possessions accumulated over the deceased’s lifetime. An estate sale is one way to distribute those items that you do not want or need quickly and efficiently. While selling...

Retirement is an expensive affair, and planning for it involves managing finances even after you have left the workforce. It is commonly estimated that you should have about 70 percent to 90 percent of your pre-retirement income to maintain the same living standard...

Individuals experiencing illnesses can benefit from having someone attend appointments with them and support their best interests. Often, close friends or family take on this role. Professional patient advocates, however, can step in when friends or family cannot be...

Nursing home evictions, or involuntary discharges or transfers, disrupt the lives of residents, leading to homelessness, separation from familial support systems, and loss of care. As federal law covers all federally funded nursing home residents, nursing home...