Medicare Eligibility at 65: What You Need to Know
Almost ten thousand Americans turned 65 today. Almost all of them will be eligible for Medicare coverage. Those who are new to Medicare will need to make some decisions about…
Moderate Coffee Consumption May Lower the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
Drinking 3-5 cups of coffee per day may help to protect against Alzheimer's Disease, according to research highlighted in an Alzheimer Europe session report published by the Institute for Scientific…
Medicare Tightens Non-Emergency Use of Ambulances to Combat Fraud
Seniors living in three states will need prior approval from Medicare before they can get an ambulance to take them to cancer or dialysis treatments. The change, which began December…
Holiday Blues – Depression in the Elderly
The holiday season is quickly coming upon us. If you are a caregiver for an elderly loved one, you may notice a change in your loved one's mood as the…
Holiday Helps for Alzheimer's Caregivers
This article is a complement to our other article in this issue entitled “Holiday Blues and Depression in the Elderly,” which focuses on the different symptoms of dementia and depression…
Medicare to Improve Nursing Home Ratings System
The Obama administration says it’s launching a makeover for Nursing Home Compare, the government website consumers can turn to when a loved one needs long-term care. Officials said a key…
When Near-Death Alzheimer’s Patients ‘Wake Up’
An elderly woman never speaks, no longer recognizes her loved ones when they come to visit, and shows no expression. By the looks of her, she is a human vegetable.…
Gus Don’t Dance Now, and I Don’t Care
If you have seen the Staff page of my website, www.ElderLawMS.com/staff, you know that Gus is my therapy dog. He is a handsome, blond Golden Retriever, about 95 pounds, a…
Parent Under Conservatorship May Have Capacity to Amend Will or Trust
We are often called on to assist in having a spouse, child or parent appointed as conservator over another family member who is no longer able to manage his or…
Don’t Get Hit With Surprise Ambulance Bills
Sometimes, a Good Samaritan turns out to be anything but. That's how Delores Cantz feels about an episode in March, when the 82-year-old slipped and fell while dancing at a…