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  Last Updated: 10/31/2008 Below is compilation of Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and other figures for 2009 that are of interest to the elderly and their families. Medicaid Spousal Impoverishment Figures for 2009 In 2009, the spouse of a Medicaid recipient living in a nursing home (called the “community spouse”) may keep as much as Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 2/24/2009 When creating an estate plan, an important decision is who to name as your fiduciary. A fiduciary is a fancy legal term for the person who will take care of your property for you if you are unable to do it yourself, such as the executor of an estate, the trustee Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 2/18/2009 A federal court has ruled that a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) can force one of its residents to move from her private apartment to an assisted living unit. Sally Herriot, 90, is a resident of Channing House, a CCRC in Palo Alto, California, that provides three levels of care — Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 2/27/2009 John West. The Last Goodnights: Assisting My Parents with Their Suicides. Counterpoint. 2009. 272 pages. $16.50 from Amazon (click on book to order) What would you do if both your parents asked you to assist them with their suicides within the same year? This unthinkable dilemma is exactly what John West Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 4/14/2009 Once you become eligible for Medicare, you will be inundated with offers from insurance companies for Medigap (supplemental insurance) policies. Sorting through these offers can be confusing. Not only are there 12 standardized plans, but there can be huge differences in premiums between companies. Medicare plans A and B cover only Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 2/19/2009 April 15th is approaching and it is time to begin crossing T’s and dotting I’s in preparation for paying taxes. As tax time draws near, you want to make sure you file all the proper forms and take all deductions you’re entitled to. Following are some things to keep in mind Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 4/6/2009 As the economy worsens, incidences of elder financial abuse are reportedly on the rise. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to scams or to financial abuse by family members in need of money. A recent study found that up to one million older Americans may be targeted yearly. Family members and caregivers Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 4/1/2009 A new report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College finds that nearly two-thirds of U.S. households are at risk of being unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement when possible long-term care costs are taken into consideration. The report, “Long-Term Care Costs and the National Retirement Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 4/29/2009 Julie Hall. The Boomer Burden: Dealing with Your Parents&#039 Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff . Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN. 2007. 228 pages. $10.19 from Amazon (click on book to order). When someone dies, they leave behind memories of them, but also lots of stuff. The Boomer Burden addresses how to deal with Read Full Article

  Last Updated: 4/24/2009 Just about everyone who gets Social Security, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or a Railroad Retirement or Veterans Administration disability pension, will receive a one-time payment from the U.S. government of $250 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka the stimulus bill). Read Full Article