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.
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On Tuesday November 3rd Maine voters repealed the state’s marriage equality law.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.
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
