Are you familiar with the term ” Observation Status“? When was the last time you were treated at a hospital? Hopefully never, but it is a reality that elders may find themselves in a hospital due to sudden decrease in mental function, perhaps due to a urinary tract infection, or due to a fall, or dehydration, or some other malady that requires emergency room attention and then several days of treatment in the hospital.
As the number of American senior citizens continues to rise, the need for good-quality, affordable long-term care plan options is greater than ever. For Americans of all ages, it can be difficult to determine the best way to plan for the future and ensure you will be well taken care of in old age. Since navigating through the intricacies of Medicare and Medicaid can be complicated, it is often wise to discuss your options with a skilled elder law attorney.
Are you or someone you know giving daily care to a spouse or loved one with dementia, physical infirmities, or both? If so, sooner or later you will most likely experience some form of caregiver stress. “Hear me?” “Hear me?” “Hear me?” That repetition of words was annoying for you to read. And annoying for me to write. But if you have a spouse with dementia that follows you around all day and repeats everything over and over, the stress creeps up on you.
Over the last several decades, the lifespan of the average American has increased significantly. This is undoubtedly a good thing. However, the aging population has brought with it a whole host of new concerns, including the need for a wider array of elder care options. According to the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute, approximately 70 percent of Americans over the age of 65 will require long-term elder care at some point.
Last week the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled in favor of a Connecticut wife, Amelia Lopes, whose husband is in a nursing home. This case was titled Lopes vs. Starkowski, who was the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services. Her assets had exceeded the then allowable limit by about $160,000. It is all the money she had to live on for the rest of her life.
I did not misspell Aunt. As everyone in Connecticut knows, many of us pronounce “aunt”, as “ant”. So here is an elder planning version of the grasshopper and the ant. As with Aesop’s Fables, it applies to many situations we humans face, and you are free to substitute your uncle, your father or mother, your grandfather or grandmother, or even yourself, in place of aunt.
