Messages about elder care, selecting a nursing home, securing Medicaid support, and similar matters are often directed not at the seniors themselves but their adult children. This is a cultural adaptation that recognizes the role that adult children play in caregiving for their parents. While the rate of child-caregivers may…
New York State has the largest Medicaid system in the country. As most know, Medicaid is a joint state-federal program that provides healthcare to low-income residents. Unlike Medicare (which is a program exclusively for seniors based on their age), Medicaid is for all those who do not have enough assets…
Any family who has gone through the process of helping a loved one into a New York nursing home understands the initial “sticker shock.” New York remains one of the most expensive states in the country for long-term care. As outlined in the latest Genworth Cost of Care study (from…
The combined pressures of growing need, rising costs, and altered ideas of the best way to live one’s golden years is leading to a revolution in the look and feel of elder care. To be sure, changes in the way seniors in need receive support are still occurring far too…
The future of providing necessary care and support for New York seniors is a hotly debated topic. The analysis is taking place everywhere, including at the local level. As frequently discussed, one of the primary battlegrounds is that of county-run nursing homes. Long a bastion of care for residents, these…
While the Affordable Care Act attempted to “bend the cost curve”, the cost of long-term care remains high and is projected to skyrocket in the future. In Illinois, the median annual cost for a nursing home with a private room was $125,732. (Genworth Financial, Inc., survey). Figuring out how to…
A somewhat bizarre story out of Europe is leading a few elder care experts in the United States to question whether “shipping away” seniors may be part of the future of long-term care for some families. As reported by the BBC, one adult daughter in Switzerland ignited an ethical debate…
Screenwriter and director Woody Allen once said, “There are worse things in life than death.” Becoming incapacitated and unable to make medical treatment decisions for yourself may be one of those things. The case of Terry Schiavo is a perfect example of the problems that can arise when one does…
The price of nursing home care in New York is staggering. It is not uncommon for a stay to cost upwards of $15,000 – $20,000 per month. This is a burden that many New York seniors can not afford to pay. After all , many local residents are only living…
Elder law and estate planning often involve overlapping issues. This is not just because seniors are those in need of elder law support (like Medicaid planning) and also the one’s most likely to think seriously about estate planning. Instead, issues connected to securing proper senior care and thriving in one’s…