Home for the Holidays Part II: Planning Strategies to Pay for In-Home Long-Term Care

Posted on December 14, 2023

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...

Tips to Lower the Cost of Long-term Care Insurance

Posted on May 25, 2023

Given the high cost of long-term care, it should come as no surprise that many people ask me what I think about long-term care insurance. As I mentioned in a previous article, I am a big fan of long-term care insurance. This despite the fact that such insurance has...

Thoughts on Independence from an Elder Law Attorney

Posted on July 14, 2022

Independence Day has come and gone, but this time of year always reminds me of why I focus on estate planning and elder law: these areas of practice allow me to help my clients live at home independently for as long as possible. Let’s take a brief look at some of the...

Long-Term Care Insurance: A Short Assessment

Posted on February 24, 2022

In my quest to help elders get the care they need and still live at home, another possible solution is long-term care insurance. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of this approach.First of all, long-term care insurance has become very expensive. That’s because many insurance companies suffered losses on policies written in...

“Live Well, Age Well” Education Series with Norwell Senior Center

Posted on September 24, 2021

Live Well, Age WellEducation Series with Norwell Council on Aging None of us can escape aging, but the choices we make throughout life can influence how well we live as we age. The Norwell Council on Aging is excited to begin the “Live Well, Age Well” initiative, offering a...

Are You Caring for Someone Who Wanders?

Posted on December 22, 2016

CMS (the agency that manages Medicare and Medicaid) recently put out this interesting FAQ piece on wandering. The piece is aimed at managers of day programs and assisted livings, but there are a lot of useful nuggets in here for people who are caring for loved ones still at home who tend...

Long-Term Care Insurance Tax Deductions

Posted on December 3, 2012

Thinking about long-term care insurance (LTCI)? Hesitant because it is expensive? Did you know that you might be able to deduct some of the premium on your taxes? If you are an itemizer, then you can take deductions as follows (2013 figures): Attained age in tax year Limitation on premiums Age 40 or...

Another Good Reason to Buy Long-Term Care Insurance

Posted on November 1, 2012

I talk to a lot of my clients about buying long-term care insurance (LTCI). Many people come to my office asking about "nursing home planning" - how to make sure they don't use up all of their savings if they end up in a nursing home. And my response is always, "Your nursing home...

How Do You Purchase the Right Long-Term Care Insurance Policy?

Posted on December 10, 2008

If you can afford the premiums, long-term care insurance (LTCI) is usually good investment in your future. The right policy will pay for at-home care, medical equipment, nursing home care, and maybe even some of the monthly fees at an assisted living. Actuarial tables demonstrate that in many cases, families that paid LTCI premiums...