FREE Seminar: What exactly are VA benefits and what can I expect? December 13th , 1:00-2:30 PM Join Board Certified Elder Law Attorney, Linda Chamberlain, as she explains VA benefits, including the most common VA benefits received by our clients. She will share the types of VA benefits, the eligibility process, what to expect during the process and when you receive benefits, and important tips for identifying and getting your Veterans benefits. Linda and our team have helped thousand of Veterans, and she’s here to provide the inside scoop to make things easier for you. This workshop will help ..read more

Great gifts for aging parents Struggling to buy gifts can be stressful as time draws short and your imagination leaves you wondering what in the world to buy.  This list will help you find something for everyone on your list, whether they were naughty or nice! The recommended gifts below are all gifts I have personally used or have given to someone who has loved it!  I have organized the gifts under headings to help you sort through easily and perhaps find just the perfect gift! Click on each gift name to be linked directly to the product page for purchase and more info. The slide s ..read more

Over the years our Aging Wisely team has shared a lot of holiday wisdom. Today we’ll round up some of our best advice and resources for you! This is your “one stop shop” for holiday wisdom that will help you ensure you have less stress this holiday season, especially with aging loved ones. Holiday Wisdom to Make You The Ultimate Gift-Giver Do you wonder how some people always find the perfect gift? Are you struggling with what to get aging parents or family members who have downsized? What about that loved one who lives in a tiny ALF apartment or the caregiver who never feels she has time to ..read more

Medicare open enrollment is October 15 – December 7 every year. This is your opportunity to review your current plan, coverages and costs. You need to determine whether to stay with your current plan or if you want to change to a new plan. As much as you may want to rely on an insurance salesperson to direct you, many of the choices and decisions you need to make to determine the best policy are very personal choices – and most likely only decisions you can make. It is startling to me to be shopping at the Dollar Tree (one of my favorites) and walk out and see a card table set up with someone ..read more

If you are on regular Medicare Part A and Part B, you will want to review your supplemental policy (if you have one). While the monthly premium you have to pay for a Supplemental Health Plan is typically more expensive than you would pay for a Medicare Advantage Plan it often provides you more choices in healthcare providers and greater coverage towards payments, and covers co-pays, etc. You usually get to select your healthcare providers and change healthcare providers whenever you want. You can choose whether to use community physicians or the specialized university medical system. You can ..read more

Medicare just announced the Medicare 2017 costs and we’ve provided a simple overview and comparison to what you paid in 2016. Be sure to check out our Medicare Fact Sheet 2017 for all of the Medicare 2017 costs and a concise overview of the various parts of Medicare. You’ll also find a more detailed breakdown of key Medicare information on page 2. Medicare 2017 Costs Medicare A Premium:  $0 if you or spouse has 40+ quarters of Medicare-covered employment If you do not have enough eligible quarters of employment, you’ll pay up to $413 (was $411 in 2016). Medicare B Premium:  &nb ..read more

Each November, we celebrate National Family Caregivers Month along with Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. This is an important reminder of the invaluable contributions of family caregivers. There are some 34 million family caregivers in the U.S., providing $470 million worth of unpaid care (2013 data) for adults aged 50+. Over 15 million adult family caregivers care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease/dementia. (National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 2015) National Family Caregivers Month Theme This year’s National Family Caregivers Month theme is “take care to give care”. Only by taking c ..read more

Our experts are often called upon to help families discuss difficult topics. We work with many adult children on how to approach these subjects, how to be prepared for the discussions, and what not to do. Many times our care managers even help to mediate such discussions. Today, we’ll delve into talking to aging parents about assisted living, getting help at home, and your worries about their health or memory problems. How to Talk to Aging Parents about Health or Care Concerns Many families we talk to tell us that their loved one denies any concerns about their health or care needs. Adult chi ..read more

Our experts offer you advice on how to talk to aging parents about anything, with specific tips and resources for discussing various issues with Mom and Dad. Check out our previous articles about timing the conversations and how to talk to aging parents who don’t want to listen or admit anything is wrong. Today, we tackle some of the toughest subjects you need to bring up with your parents. How to Talk to Aging Parents about Driving Many seniors see driving as a source of independence. Giving up driving means giving up freedom and symbolizes loss and decline. All of these things can be very t ..read more

We previously shared our advice on timing for talking to elderly parents about difficult topics. But, no matter when you talk about things, some elderly parents just don’t want to hear what you have to say. What do you do when talking to elderly parents leads nowhere? What can you do if Dad simply says, “I’m fine. Leave me alone.”? Talking to Elderly Parents Who Say There’s Nothing to Talk About You may not get anywhere today, but don’t give up. Sometimes it is best to leave the subject alone if it’s not a crisis and return to it later. We always advise that talking to elderly parents is a p ..read more