Category Archives: Elder Law

Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Early in 2011

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Medicare Open Enrollmentends earlier this year. You have until December 7 to make sure your health and drug coverage still meets your needs. You do not need to take any action if you are happy with your current coverage. If you want to change plans, or if you need help choosing the right plan, visit the Medicare website and get personalized information about plans in your area.

There are some changes to the premiums and deductibles for 2012. If you pay a premium for Part A, you’ll pay up to $451 each month in 2012. The Part B premium for most individuals will be $99.90, and the Part B deductible will decrease to $140 per year.

You can review all of the Medicare premiums and deductibles at the Medicare website, including information about the income-related monthly adjustment amounts for Medicare prescription drug coverage.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

Social Security Cost of Living Increase

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The press office of the Social Security Administration announced yesterday that the 60 million Americans who are recipients of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will get a cost of living increase in 2012.  There were no cost of living increases in 2010 and 2011.

The increase, which is called a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), will be 3.6 percent. The increase will go into effect for SSI beneficiaries on December 30, 2011 and for Social Security beneficiaries in January 2012.   Information about Medicare changes for 2012, when announced, will be available at the website for Medicare. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums.

Social Security benefits represent about 41% of the income of the elderly. Nine out of ten individuals age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits, making social security the major source of income for most of the elderly population.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

 

Knowing Where to go to for Help . . . Priceless!

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Being an elder law attorney, I spend my days advising clients on various aspects of elder law.   However, when the tables are turned and I found myself in the position that many clients find themselves in, it is nice to experience firsthand what resources are available and the help that can be provided.

I recently had a family crisis issue when a family member, who is the primary caretaker for another family member who suffers from Alzheimer’s, was herself admitted to the hospital with Pneumonia.  Her absence triggered all sorts of caregiver related concerns and family realizations as to the care level required.  I was able to utilize our care coordinator here in our office to provide resources to my family relating to specific issues for the care of Alzheimer’s patients, particularly information relating to eating issues and the progression of the disease.  It was so comforting to have a knowledgeable resource specialist who could provide calm advice in the middle of a serious issue for my family.

We were prepared, or so we thought, as the house had been sold, parents were living at a stepped up living facility, care givers were available, and yet when the crisis hit, there was still so much to arrange and worry about.  I was so glad that our care coordinator and resource specialist was here to assist me and realize her services are invaluable not only to help all of us prepare for long term care issues, but also to help us in our moments of crisis.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

2011 Elder Abuse Awareness Day

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While May was Older Americans month, there are still community events on the calendar to assist and support the elderly in our community. Santa Clara County Commemoration of World Elder Abuse Day will be held on June 11, 2011 from 11:00 – 2:00 at the Santa Clara County Government Building on 70 West Hedding Street in the Front Plaza,  San Jose, California, 95110. If you would like to get more information,  call  (408) 975-4848.

In Santa Clara County the Department of Aging and Adult Services is the social service agency for the county. They provide a number of services and a collection of resources for the community.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

Santa Clara County Financial Abuse Specialist Team

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The attorneys and paralegals from CSS attended a Silicon Valley Bar Association educational seminar today given by the County FAST Team.  The FAST Team is comprised of selected members of the offices of Adult Protective Services, the Public Guardian, the District Attorney, County Counsel and law enforcement.  The purpose of the team is to identify, investigate, prevent, and remedy the financial abuse of elders and dependent adults.

The presenters provided us with a great deal of information that will be useful to us for serving our clients. The most urgent warning that they gave to us involved “lottery scams.”  They are seeing an increase in scams where an individual is contacted that they have won a foreign lottery.  The individual is asked to wire money to cover the taxes on the winnings before the winnings can be released.  The Federal Trade Commission has put together information for consumers on this and other scams at their website.

For specific information on lottery and wire transfer scams go to this link at the web site for the Federal Trade Commission.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.