Preserving the “Self” though the Memory Dims
Kathy Greenlee, Director of the federal Administration for Community Living– http://www.acl.gov/Index.aspx — gave a marvelous speech last Wednesday at the 3rd World Congress on Adult Guardianship in Arlington VA. She said that “The loss of memory is not the same as the loss of self,” that people need to be recognized for their unique selves and everyone craves the...
World Guardianship Congress Conference
The World Congress on Adult Guardianship will have its 3rd biennial conference in Crystal City, Virginia May 28-30. Speakers from all over the world will be presenting on the different approaches to guardianship in their countries and the legal strategies they have developed towards implementing the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. You can...
If you stopped working due to illness, don’t delay iif you need Social Security Disability
If you are no longer able to work because you have developed a severe medical condition, there are important rules within the Social Security Disability program that you need to bear in mind. While you are working and Social Security taxes are being paid (FICA), you are acquiring work credits within the Social Security system. These are banked, and once you have acquired 40 calendar quarters...
When signing your Will, don’t forget about IRA beneficiary designations
When talking with your attorney about your new Will, be sure to find out if any of the assets is an IRA – an Individual Retirement Account — and be sure to check out your current beneficiary designations. Tax-deferred IRA accounts typically have beneficiaries designated by the account owner so that upon death of the IRA owner, the account will be transferred to one or more people...
Save your child’s medical & special education records
Do you have a son or daughter who is unable to work due to disabilities that began before age 22? Your young adult may have begun receiving SSI & Medicaid benefits when they turned 18. However, when you retire and are eligible to receive Social Security benefits, or if there comes a time that you can no longer work due to your own disabilities and you start receiving Social Security...
NJ Medicaid confirms outright transfers to disabled kids cause no Medicaid penalty
Generally speaking, if a Medicaid applicant made gifts of assets during the 5-year look-back preceding her Medicaid application, eligibility will be denied for a period of time called a “transfer penalty.” There is a special exception to this rule for transfers that were made to disabled children.
In this case , M.C. v. Union County Div. Soc. Serv. And DMAHS, HMA- 8967-2013, the...
Alzheimer’s Association Has Help for Caregiver Respite
Very happy to hear about this program from the New Jersey Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association that provides a one-time only $1000 “scholarship” to caregivers who need respite from caregiving for their spouses or other loved ones. These monies can be used toward home health aide time or a stay in assisted living for the loved one short-term. One scholarship per family,...
Lauren Marinaro Will Talk Obamacare at the Y on October 23rd
I will be at the YMCA of Scotch Plains at 12 pm and 7 pm on October 23rd to discuss the Affordable Care Act and answer questions about the Medicaid expansion, access to health insurance subsidies and the ins and outs of the health insurance mandate. At noon we will also be talking about Obamacare’s impact on Medicare. Come one come all!!
Obamacare is Here and We Can Help
It’s been a rocky start, but the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) opened up their Health Insurance Marketplace so that people without employer-sponsored health insurance can sign up for insurance coverage starting January 1, 2014. There are subsidies for people whose household income is between 134 and 400% of poverty, using an income calcuation that is “Modified Adjusted Gross...
Multi-generational Living can be a lifesaver, but keep good records
Recent new reports show an uptick in the construction of “oversized” houses designed to accommodate three generations of a family. The aging or disabled parents may move in with their middle-aged child, and then the working child in their 20’s may move in as well to have a more affordable living arrangement. For the generation who are aging or have disabilities, who may need...