A Holiday Gift Suggestion for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease

Add comment November 25th, 2009

If you have a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease or other neurological diseases, buy him or her an iPod or a new CD this holiday season.

Not only is listening to a favorite album a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, studies show that music can help stimulate inactive areas of the brain.  This stimulation can arouse old memories, evoke untapped emotions, and even improve cognitive functioning.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a nonprofit organization founded at Beth Abraham Health Services in the Bronx.  This nonprofit brings music to individuals with Alzheimer’s by delivering iPods with customized playlists to their homes.

The Institute also conducts studies on the effects of music therapy on Alzheimer’s patients, and the growing evidence shows profound benefits of listening to old favorites on neurological, physical and emotional functioning.

Caregivers and family members can provide a multitude of benefits to their loved ones with dementia by listening to music with them.  The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function provides suggested songs on its website, so visit www.imnf.org to get some recommendations for a holiday playlist and to learn more about this important organization.

The Many Options of Medicare Coverage

Add comment November 24th, 2009

Medicare is a federal health insurance program available to individuals 65 and older. Since Medicare is fundamentally a health insurance program, it comes with the complex options and limitations of any other health insurance program, such as premiums, deductibles, copays and exclusions.  Choosing the best coverage to suit your individual health care needs is no easy task, since Medicare has several components and offerings.  Recipients have many important choices to make regarding their plan, such as whether to choose Medicare D drug coverage along with their traditional Medicare, or to opt for a Medicare Advantage plan, which is a private-carrier package that groups many benefits together.  There are many Medicare Advantage plans currently available.

The annual Medicare enrollment period is from November 15 through December 31.  Welecia Konrad of the New York Times has recently published two clarifying articles designed to help enrollees make the best decisions possible when choosing their health coverage.  The article “Nearly 65? Time for the Medicare Maze” is for first-time enrollees.  The article “Now Is the Time to Weigh Medicare Options” is for those already enrolled in Medicare, and explains whether making changes to your current plan may or may not be the best idea for your individual situation.

Be sure look into all of your options and to sign up for your new coverage before the Medicare enrollment period ends.

NEW HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION

Add comment November 16th, 2009

Some of our clients are asking what the new Health Care legislation says, and how they will be affected.  These are difficult questions to answer.

The Health Care bill passed by the House of Representatives a week ago is 1,990 pages long.  The House bill will have to be reconciled with a separate bill that is being considered by the Senate.  Trying to read and understand such lengthy and complex legislation would severely test the abilities and patience of the most diligent person.

According to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, the House bill “covers 96 percent of all Americans, and it puts affordable coverage in reach for millions of uninsured and under insured families, lowering health care costs for all of us.”

House Republican leader, Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, says that “It will raise the cost of Americans’ health insurance premiums; it will kill jobs with tax hikes and new mandates, and it will cut seniors’ Medicare benefits.”

According to budget estimates, the House bill would result in new health care spending of more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years.  Funding of the increased costs would come from a variety of sources, including a 5.4% tax surcharge on high income earners, and more than $400 billion in cost cuts from Medicare.  At the same time, the bill envisions increased
spending on Medicaid, and an easing of the eligibility requirements for that program.

Whether the House and the Senate will agree on a bill that is acceptable to the President, and what that bill might mean for each of us, all remains to be seen.

Alzheimer’s Cases Increasing Rapidly

Add comment November 12th, 2009

The number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease has been increasing sharply over the past several years, and will continue to grow at an unprecedented rate.  A recent article in The Wall Street Journal stated that the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease “grew 10% globally between 2005 and 2009 to 35 million… [and] this number is expected to continue climbing to 115.4 million in 2050 ” (Alzheimer’s Cases to Climb Sharply, by Shirley S. Wang, 9/21/09).

In certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, a “national Alzheimer’s plan” has been put in place to deal with the inevitable financial and social implications of this sharply increasing population.  However, no such “national plan” exists in the United States.  Also, as the article states, federal spending on Alzheimer’s research is far lower than diseases like cancer and AIDS.

Without a governmental program in place to manage the rapid increase of Alzheimer’s patients and their specialized needs, the responsibility ends up falling on individuals who are ill-equipped to take care for someone with Alzheimer’s.  Family and friends are left to assist in coordinating and funding the long-term care of their loved ones, but are given little guidance on how to do so.  Medicare, our national health insurance program that is available to individuals 65 and older, does not pay for long-term custodial care, which is typically the kind of care individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease need.  The family is often left overwhelmed and financially devastated by the cost of such care.

Paying out of pocket for long-term care is extremely expensive.  This is why it is so important to see an Elder Law attorney when family members begin showing signs of dementia.

An Elder Law attorney can make sure that an individual with Alzheimer’s receives the care he needs, and does not end up penniless in the process.

David Cutner on WMCA 570 AM Radio “Health Talk” - November 14th

Add comment November 11th, 2009

On Saturday, November 14th, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, “Health Talk” on WMCA 570 AM has invited David Cutner to appear again for another hour of live, talk radio.  Mr. Cutner answers listeners’ questions live, on the air, in a compelling and informative discussion about timely issues that affect the elderly and disabled.

It is anticipated that this Saturday’s discussion will focus on strategies that listeners can utilize to protect their life’s savings from being depleted by the enormous costs of long term care.

Also, there may be some discussion about the dramatic changes in New York’s laws concerning powers of attorney. The new laws went into effect on September 1st.

Tune in to 570 AM or you can also listen to live audio on the Internet at www.nycradio.com.

Changes in Same-Sex Marriage Laws

Add comment November 11th, 2009

Maine

On Tuesday November 3rd Maine voters repealed the state’s marriage equality law.  The law was passed by the Maine legislature last spring and would have legalized same-sex marriage.  However, the law was put on hold when it was followed by a petition drive to repeal it by voters in a referendum.  On Election Day, a referendum was held and Maine voters rejected the law by 53 percent of the votes.

New York

The outcome of a same-sex marriage law in New York is still unknown.  Governor David Paterson put the issue on the Senate’s agenda and is asking Senators to vote on the issue.  The gay-marriage legislation has already passed in the Assembly and is supported by Gov. Paterson.  However, it is unclear whether or not there are enough votes to pass the bill and when such a vote will actually take place.  While Paterson is pushing for a vote, legislators are currently negotiating and may put the issue on hold for an indeterminable amount of time.

Hispanic Population May Be At Greater Risk For Alzheimer’s

Add comment November 11th, 2009

A New York Times article published last October has pointed out some alarming developments about the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Latino community. The article refers to studies that suggest Hispanics may have higher risk factors for dementia. Even worse, Alzheimer’s seems to be appearing at a younger age for this group.

A multitude of elements seem to be contributing to this observation. Financial hardship and language barriers prevent some from seeking adequate medical care and early diagnosis. Lack of accurate information about Alzheimer’s in the Latino community leads others to assume that symptoms are part of the normal aging process, which can be incorrect.

On a more positive note, experts think a genetic predisposition to the disease in the Hispanic population is unlikely. What is more significant is the range of other degenerative disease conditions prevalent among Latinos, such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, that in a significant number of instances exist concurrently with Alzheimer’s.

Elder Law planning provides an important advantage to anyone that faces the prospect of a serious disabling illness such as Alzheimer’s Disease.   Proper planning opens up the possibility of obtaining needed care under the Medicaid program, and preserving assets and income at the same time.  Serious illness or injury does not have to be accompanied by financial ruin from medical expenses and long-term health care costs.

Typically, an individual’s money, investments, home and other assets can be kept within the family unit. That means these assets can be used for the patient’s benefit while he or she is alive, and what remains can help the family after their loved one is gone.

In most instances, it’s not too late to achieve Medicaid eligibility, even if a patient has already entered a nursing home. Lamson & Cutner’s Special Report, 25 Strategies to Prevent Financial Ruin from Long-Term Health Care Costs discusses this in the first two Strategies it outlines.

The above New York Times article points out that the majority of Hispanic Alzheimer’s patients live at home with multigenerational families. L & C’s Special Report will also give you details on getting home care assistance covered by Medicaid and how an Elder Law attorney can help.

See the NY Times Article at the following link: More Alzheimer’s Risk for Hispanics