When it comes to long-term care costs, the charges for home care are now rising faster than those for nursing home care, according to Genworth's 2019 Cost of Care survey. In the past year, the median annual cost for home health aides rose 4.55 percent to $52,624,...

Written By: Lelia Wardell Mander The end of the year is approaching and the holidays will soon be in full swing, a time when many people are getting ready to make gifts to their family members. Not only is this a great way to show love and support to relatives, but it...

Written By: Attorney Ryan D. Foley Estate planning can be confusing, convoluted, and overwhelming. Confronting mortality is often uncomfortable, and many people put it off for far too long. This can end up causing a multitude of problems, but not for the person who...

The answer depends on state law, so you’ll have to consult with an elder law attorney in your state. While the federal government requires all state Medicaid programs to seek recovery of their expenses from the estates of deceased beneficiaries – usually from their...

By: Patrick Hicks Nearly half of baby boomers lack any sort of estate plan, despite the fact that most people agree it’s very important to have one. And among Americans aged 72 and older, nearly one in five still have no documents that provide directions regarding...

Written By: Rick Pendykoski When it comes to retirement planning, many Americans find themselves underprepared. A majority of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Generation X’ers (born between 1965 and 1978) often end up without retirement savings or don’t...

There are lots of misconceptions about estate planning, and any one of them can result in costly mistakes. Understanding who needs an estate plan and what it should cover is key to creating a plan that is right for you. A properly crafted estate plan allows you, while...

Yes, an annuity is like any other investment asset and must be liquidated and spent down before Medicaid will pick up the cost of your mother’s care. It may feel like the nursing home is “taking” the annuity, since it will likely be spent paying for your grandmother’s...

The Social Security Administration has announced a 1.6 percent increase in benefits in 2020, nearly half of last year's change. The small rise has advocates questioning whether the government is using the proper method to calculate the cost of living for older...

Being appointed guardian of a loved one is a serious responsibility. As guardian, you are in charge of your loved one's well-being and you have a duty to act in his or her best interest. If an adult becomes mentally incapacitated and is incapable of making responsible...

Medicare's Open Enrollment Period, during which you can freely enroll in or switch plans, runs from October 15 to December 7. Don't let this period slip by without shopping around to see whether your current choices are the best ones for you. During this period you...

You have completed and executed your plan for your special needs child. Everyone you’ve selected to serve—your guardian, your trustee, your health care proxy, your executor, and possibly a trust protector as well—has signed the paperwork. All set? For now, yes. But...

Spending on social activities is fine, and in theory there is no limit on the cost. However, the issue is proving how the money was spent. If your mother spends the money as cash, how does the Medicaid agency know whether it was lost at the casino or given to someone...

As long-term care insurance premiums rise and fewer companies offer policies, alternatives to traditional long-term care insurance policies are springing up.  Previously, we wrote about annuity “doublers” that help pay for long-term care. Another increasingly popular...

With careful Medicaid planning, you may be able to preserve some of your estate for your children or other heirs while meeting Medicaid's low asset limit. The problem with transferring assets is that you have given them away. You no longer control them, and even a...