Author: Lauren Marinaro

Sometimes the hardest part about Elder Law is knowing when you are in a position to help an older adult into a better, healthier, more sustainable lifestyle and when you are going to be told to “mind your own beeswax!” by the older adult you want to help.  Many times, we meet with friends, neighbors and family members of elders who may need help (similar to this advice column) but...

The FDIC just released a terrific pamphlet on how older adults should be prepared to avoid consumer scams and other forms of elder exploitation.  Called “Money Smarts for Older Adults,” it is worth printing out, then sit back, make yourself a cup of tea, and read it!  Then when you have questions about particular things in it, feel free to give us a call to discuss how their...

A while ago I wrote that New Jersey was taking the federal funds to expand Medicaid to those under 138% of poverty. This is based on  a person’s Modified Adjusted Gross Income–no asset test, no lookback.  if you are an adult tax dependant and you think you are earning less than this, consider filing your own return, or talk to an accountant. Many of our clients and their families...

Today’s elder of the day has just set the record for oldest person to scale Mount Everest; but watch out, there is an 81-year old Nepalese man scheduled to overtake him tomorrow!  The climber was able to reach the summit despite four heart surgeries and a broken hip!

Today’s paper highlighted a possibly record-breaking gathering of people over 100 years old at a nursing home in Somerset County while also alerting the public to a decrease in funding for senior transportation due to low casino revenues in New Jersey.  So the takeaway today is that New Jerseyans are living longer and definitely feeling the pinch for doing so.  Financial planning is key,...

News has broken that Harper Lee, the author of To Kill A Mockingbird, is suing her agent and others for wrongfully transferring Lee’s rights to himself in order to secure himself “irrevocable” interest in the income derived from her book and to avoid paying legal obligations he owed to his father-in-law’s company for royalties that he allegedly misappropriated, the...

In New York, where Medicaid managed long-term care has been implemented for a while now, they are beginning to see two distinct trends: that the HMO’s are looking to enroll healthier elders in Medicaid, and that these same HMOs were “dumping” sicker, more medically frail Medicaid recipients from their plans, or refusing to assess them.  New Jersey’s Comprehensive Waiver...

It’s all too common for elders and their family members to work with caregivers who are not employed through caregiver agencies who are their fiscal intermediaries.  There may be an arrangement to pay by the day or the hour in cash or check.  The caregiver may have to go home for a while and finds another person to “fill in”.  Then that person leaves and someone else is the...

People in nursing homes need advocates and the New Jersey Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman is looking for a few good vounteers to listen to resident’s concerns and be a voice for resident’s rights with the facilities.  Sometimes the best advocates are people who have been through long-term care issues with their own family members, so consider volunteering today!

The fabulous NY Times “The New Old Age Blog” recently focused on the trend of medical-legal partnerships, where elders attend a health clinic and the doctor spots issues affecting the elder’s health and well-being that could be best addressed by an attorney and makes a referral to a legal clinic not too far away.  Many times, seeing an elder law attorney is not too different...