For all practical purposes, the only “insurance” plan for long‑term nursing home care for many seniors is Medicaid.  Medicare only pays for approximately 7 percent of skilled nursing care in the United States.  Private insurance pays for even less.  The result is that most people pay out of their own pockets for long-term care until […]

According to the Center for Retirement Research (“CRR”) at Boston College, men have a 32% percent chance of letting a long-term care policy lapse and women’s chances of lapse are 38%.  In 23% of the cases studied, those who let their policy lapse did so within four years of needing long-term care with one in […]

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation Monday night requiring hospitals across the nation to tell Medicare patients when they receive observation care, but have not been admitted to the hospital. It’s a distinction that’s easy to miss until patients are hit with big medical bills after a short stay. The vote follows overwhelming approval in […]

The show, “This American LIfe” recently posted a podcast on an innovative way to cope with a loved one suffering from dementia.  Its act two on the following link:   http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/532/magic-words   Best, Eric

Recently, a court found an Iowa man not guilty of sexually abusing his wife who resided in a nursing home and had Alzheimer’s disease.   Here’s a link to the article in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/health/iowa-man-found-not-guilty-of-sexually-abusing-wife-with-alzheimers.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0 While the article raises interesting questions about the ability of a person with diminished capacity to consent to […]