I've returned inspired from our 2010 UnProgram for the Life Care Planning Law Firm Association. The caliber of persons I was surrounded by and the knowledge base they shared was equally impressive by their compassion to serve the elderly community.
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01/26/2010
12/31/2009
12/24/2009
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS
We wish all of our clients, colleagues, family, & friends all the season's best.
- Terry, Maureen, MaryLou, Laura, Tanya & Danielle
12/08/2009
THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
My work in managing you and your loved one’s care throughout their elder care continuum makes participation in network development with homecare agencies, hospitals, extended care communities & facilities, and community agencies serving the elderly and disabled is so critical. Please call me (951) 781-1960 or email me marylou@moynihanlawfirm.com so we can share our common goals and best practices.
LIFE CARE PLANNING WORKSHOPS
Be on the lookout for our series of workshops on Life Care Planning in 2010.
12/03/2009
NO CHANGE TO VETERANS AID & ATTENDANCE BENEFITS FOR 2010
NO CHANGE TO VETERANS AID & ATTENDANCE BENEFITS FOR 2010
There will be no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to Veterans Aid and Attendance benefits for 2010. Each December 1, the rates for the next year become effective. Both VA Compensation and Pension benefits are tied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) COLA. Because SSA did not increase COLA this year, there will be no change to the VA benefits. The VA will sending letters to beneficiaries notifying them that there will be no COLA for 2010.
Aid & Attendance is a special pension available to wartime veterans to help pay for unreimbursed medical expenses. A qualified married veteran can receive up to $1,949/mo. tax-free while a widowed spouse can receive up to $1,056/mo.
11/26/2009
11/23/2009
HELLO, MARY LOU!
HELLO, MARY LOU!
The Moynihan Law Firm is pleased to announce that Mary Lou Marquez, BSW, has joined the firm as our new Geriatric Care Coordinator.
Mary Lou is a graduate of California State University at Los Angeles and holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work with a minor in Gerontology.
Mary Lou has extensive experience with the geriatric care community. She coordinates services for our clients and promotes their emotional and physical health, well-being and safety. In addition Mary Lou performs community outreach for the firm.
11/18/2009
LONG-TERM SCARE
Lately, the news has been dominated by discussions about health care reform. For many people, however, the urgent issue is
long-term health care. “What will happen
if I end up in a nursing home? How will
I pay for it? What kind of care will I
receive there? Will it be possible for
me to be cared for at home?”
When a family member becomes ill, these can be overwhelming issues to face. We should think about our own individual long-term health care plan. There are steps that can be taken before a long-term health crisis hits that will make the problem easier to deal with and easier to afford. The key is addressing it before the crisis hits. We call it a Life Care Plan because we try to factor in all phases along the elder care continuum.
In the next posts, I will discuss many the aspects of Life Care Planning which make it a really revolutionary approach to planning for the unique needs of seniors and individuals dealing with chronic illness.
11/11/2009
INTRODUCTION TO LIFE-CARE PLANNING
Everyone’s ideal situation for their own long-term health care is “aging in place”. This is where an individual is able to live at home independently with no assistance until he just drops dead. Many think it would be nice to leave this world that way but, unfortunately, that is not how it usually works. Instead, the person may experience a deterioration of health that makes it difficult to stay completely independent. Conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease or stroke can change the situation very quickly.
You can exercise some control over your own situation. Life Care Planning, properly implemented, can be thought of as “pre-crisis planning”. With “pre-crisis planning”, we have more strategies at our disposal to put in place to deal with a crisis that may occur later.
Some of the issues we consider in a Life Care Plan are: health care and long-term decisions making, long-term care options, residential options, public benefits and resources that can help finance care, ownership of a home and personal property, family issues and, most importantly, quality of life and care.
A major part of the plan is legal planning. It is critical that certain documents be in place ahead of time to permit further action later should it be needed. For example, a properly drafted durable power of attorney will allow the person of your choice to step in and take action to handle your affairs should you become ill and incapacitated.
A lack of planning often means that the probate court must be called upon to appoint a “conservator” to make health care decisions and to take control over the income and assets of an incapacitated person.
f you have done no planning in this area, you should promptly formulate a plan that takes into consideration what phase you are in now and what phases may come in the future.
If you have been wise enough to do some planning like purchasing long-term care insurance, perhaps you should do some long-term health care reform and look at what other areas and issues you need to consider in a comprehensive plan for your care. The key is to take matters into your own hands and not wait for somebody or something to come to your rescue.
