According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers lost more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023. Worse, elders are particularly vulnerable, especially to online scams. The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center announced that Americans over the age of 60 were defrauded of approximately $3.4 billion in 2023, up 11% from 2022. It is...
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How PACE Helps Elders Reside at Home for as Long as Possible
As most of you know, I am committed to helping elders live at home for as long as possible. My last two articles have focused on MassHealth programs that help elders accomplish this goal. You can find these articles here. Now I’d like to discuss another option: PACE (Program...
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Two More MassHealth Programs that Help Elders Avoid Moving to a Nursing Home
As you know by now, my goal is to help elders stay at home for as long as possible. For most people, their own financial resources are not enough, and we supplement those with MassHealth (or sometimes the VA). Under the MassHealth umbrella, there are several programs that can...
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How the Frail Elder Waiver Helps Elders Avoid Having to Move to a Nursing Home
As many of you know, I am dedicated to helping elders reside at home for as long as possible. The Frail Elder Waiver (FEW) is one of the MassHealth programs that helps seniors accomplish this.FEW provides support to eligible elders 60 years of age or older whose needs meet the level of...
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Why You Might Want to Consider a Corporate or Private Trustee
In my last article I discussed some of the factors to consider when choosing a trustee for your irrevocable trust. Now I’d like to elaborate on two options you might want to consider if you don’t know anyone you’d trust to fill this crucial role: a corporate trustee and a...
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Mayday, Mayday, be on the Lookout: Incidents of Fraud have Risen Dramatically!
I recently came across an article from AARP about the rising number of scams and other forms of fraud being perpetrated nationwide. Here is a synopsis of this troubling article, along with a few links. Let’s begin with some numbers. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans reported losing a record $10 billion...
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Home for the Holidays Part II: Planning Strategies to Pay for In-Home Long-Term Care
Last time I discussed MassHealth programs that can help elders who need long-term care live at home for as long as possible. Now I’d like to describe some other long-term care planning strategies that can make home care affordable for elders and their loved ones. I’ll also provide links to past articles...
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A Veterans Day Reminder About the VA Aid and Attendance Pension Program
Saturday was Veterans Day. While it’s nice to devote a day to recognizing veterans, what about the other 364 days of the year—and the many veterans and their families who struggle with the cost of long-term care? I would like to use this forum to discuss a misunderstood and underutilized benefit available...
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Finally! Massachusetts Residents Receive Some Good News About Estate Taxes
On October 4, 2023, Governor Maura Healey signed legislation that will modify a wide range of tax laws impacting Massachusetts individuals and families. Changes include a doubling of the Massachusetts estate tax exemption, from $1 million per estate to $2 million per estate. In addition, the new law alters how Massachusetts estate tax will...
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Eligibility for Assistance from MassHealth to Pay for Long-Term Care
Given the high cost of long-term care, it’s not surprising that Medicaid (known as MassHealth in Massachusetts) is now the largest provider of funds for nursing home care in the United States. As I discussed in a previous article, MassHealth can also pay for home care, assisted living,...
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