What is wrong with Medicaid?

Jan 11, 2018

Why is Medicaid a terrible thing if you need long-term care? Long-term care used to be a simple thing.  We got older and needed some help, our children took care of us.  Remember Ozzie and Harriet?  She had the time and the space to have parents move in.  She was a homemaker in dress and…

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YES! You can get Long-Term Care Insurance Regardless of Health

Dec 21, 2017

Have you been declined for LTC insurance?  Did you not even try assuming (incorrectly) that you can’t get it because of your stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, bad knee or hip, diabetes, etc., etc., etc.? YES! You can get Long-Term Care Insurance Regardless of Health! Perhaps you worked with someone who only dabbles in LTC insurance on…

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How Care for Elders, Not Children, Denies Women a Paycheck

Dec 21, 2017

Why did women’s rush into the work force stop? Policymakers have been vexed by the question for years. Social scientists have discussed the sudden stop for over a decade, in conferences and academic papers. Almost 12 years ago, I gave the topic a shot in the pages of The Times: why, after a five-decade rise, did the labor-force participation of…

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Who Will Pay For Your Funeral Expenses?

Dec 1, 2017

Seems like a silly question, doesn’t it?  You have money and other assets, as well as life insurance, so why worry about this. Due to a recent personal experience I learned that there can be problems.  After a relative’s death, the estate was locked immediately and no withdrawals could be made from any accounts.  The…

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Thanksgiving Dinner – How is Grandma Doing?

Nov 20, 2017

The holidays including Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when the entire family gets together.  It is often the situation where we realize someone is not doing so well on their own anymore. Perhaps it is struggling to prepare all the food being a physical burden.  Other times it might be forgetting to do something or…

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Will Your Children be Paying Your Bills?

Nov 15, 2017

A recent survey by TD Ameritrade found that 13% of American adults are financially supporting their parents.  It appears to be a growing issue.  According to their survey, 19% of millennials are helping pay their parents’ bills, compared to 13% of Generation Xers and 8% of baby boomers.  How do you help your parents through…

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Long-Term Care’s Terrible Cost to Families

Nov 14, 2017

Two recent articles (links below) describe the terrible cost to families when they provide care for a loved one, and even worse when it is dementia. Currently, 40 million Americans are caregivers, and the cost is far more than money.  It involves loss of time with other family members, cancelled trips, lost promotions, time away…

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Using Home Equity to Fund Long-Term Care

Oct 17, 2017

You can use your home to stay at home, or to pay for care so you can go to the facility YOU prefer. But first, why might you not be allowed to go to the facility you prefer?  Long-term care (LTC) facilities need to charge for the care they provide.  Their staff costs are significant…

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Do You Have Questions On How to Deal With Long-Term Care?

Oct 17, 2017

Many people do. Why can’t Grandpa give us the farm?  Can Grandma keep her life insurance?  Doesn’t Medicare pay for the first 90 days in a nursing home?  Can I give my care to my grandchild?  Can my parents pay me to care for them?  If I care for my parents, must I pay income…

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