Recent Blog Posts
Third Circuit Court of Appeals Approves “Half-a-Loaf” Annuity
According to a recent decision in Federal Court, the duration of a short-term annuity does not remove it from the safe-harbor provisions of Medicaid regulations. For those using the Medicaid plan often referred to as “half-a-loaf, this decision means that even if the annuity is established with payments over a very short duration, it… Read More »
What is Aid and Attendance and How can it Help?
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has some great programs to help elderly veterans, even beyond the typical assistance of other programs like Social Security and Medicare. However, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet, and sometimes clients will approach experienced elder law attorneys in The Villages, asking about applying for… Read More »
Alabama Supreme Court Upholds Nursing Home Arbitration Agreement Preventing Lawsuit for Injuries
When admitting a loved one to a long-term care facility, contracts must be signed. In those contracts are little-known and little-understood clauses called “arbitration agreements.” These clauses state that if there is any dispute between a resident and his family, the parties must use a third-party arbitrator instead of going to court. In short,… Read More »
Creating Advance Directives that Honor Your Religious Wishes
According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are largely devout in their religious beliefs. Specifically, the Center found that: “Two-thirds of the public agrees with [the following statements]: (1) prayer is an important part of their daily life; (2) we will all be called before God at the Judgment Day; and (3) they never… Read More »
Con Artist Caught in The Villages – Three Rules to Avoiding Elder Exploitation Scams
Just last month, a local man was arrested by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. According to The Villages-News, the man had a long history of scamming elderly residents. It seems there were 18 complaints filed against the man, Robert Wayne Williams. He pulled off his scams by posing as a reputable tree service provider… Read More »
The Scoop on Spousal Impoverishment
No one wants to be impoverished. But when it comes to Medicaid planning, being impoverished actually provides benefits. Most seniors contemplating admission to a Florida nursing home may have been alerted of this strange fact. But what exactly does impoverished mean in this context? Medicaid rules are difficult to follow, and, as such, we… Read More »
Advanced Planning May Reduce the Risk of Elder Exploitation
It is a scenario Florida elder law attorneys have seen too many times. A potential client comes to the office to discuss her mother’s situation. Mom has been suffering from dementia for almost a year, but it is rapidly getting worse. When the client went to pay some of her mother’s bills, she noticed… Read More »
Life Insurance Scams on the Rise
Daniel Powell, a 34-year-old San Diego man, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison last month for conning seniors out of more than $5 million. How? He ultimately did so using life insurance policies. Unlike many financial scams that focus on the promise of riches or quick money, these scams often focus on… Read More »
Florida Retirement Once Again an Attractive Option for Seniors
Between 2007 and 2009, the economic crisis in America resulted in widespread foreclosures. But certain regions were hit worse than others. For this reason, on February 19, 2010, President Obama unveiled a program known as the Hardest Hit Fund, which would provide substantial financial resources from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in order… Read More »
I Was Named the Executor? Now What?
If you are like most people, you may have not seen your parents’ wills. That is, of course, assuming they have wills. Likewise, you may have not asked your siblings, spouse or other loved ones if they would kindly let you inspect theirs either. Death and estate planning are difficult topics for most people… Read More »