Pennsylvania - South Central

The feelings that an older adult experiences at the onset of dementia and memory lossnamely frustration, anxiety, and fearare also felt by family members. And just as the person with dementia depends on sources of comfort, security and consolation, that individuals family often requires support, as well. Families need to understand what their loved ones are going through and how to add quality to their lives and cope with these changes. And, if families feel they cant care for them on their own, this is understandable and acceptable. Thats when they may need guidance in selecting a memory support program.Though the rate of progression varies, widely, those with Alzheimers disease on average live eight to 10 years after their diagnosis, but some survive 20 years or more. The Mayo Clinic advises, It is best to have a support plan. Country Meadows Retirement Communities has developed a free 16-page guide, Understanding Dementias Effects on Your Loved One and Family to assist with discussing and deciding what is best for your family and situation. The topics include the following:Understanding the different levels of memory lossSetting expectations as a caregiver and tips for supporting your loved oneEnjoying successful visits with a loved one with dementia Helping children understand and cope with the change Limiting or stopping drivingPlanning for legal and financial implicationsDetermining if and when it is time for a memory support program and if so, evaluating your options  To get our free guide, stop by one of our communities or visit us online at CountryMeadows.com/Dementia. And you can always just give us a call to ask a question. Were here to help.

Caregiver agreements are often used in the Medicaid context so that a family member can be paid for their services to a loved one and the payment would not be considered a gift.In the Medicaid context, payments to family members are considered to be a gift for love and affection, unless there is a clear agreement written prior to services being rendered, preferably signed by the parent receiving the care as well as the child giving the care.The caregiver agreement will set forth all of the terms of the transaction, including what services will be provided, where will they be provided, how will they be provided, and other typical contract languages.The significance of this agreement is that the Department of Human Services (DHS) will look at the transaction as an arms-length transaction between third parties and not among family members.This means that the payments to the child will not be considered a gift, and, therefore payments will be allowed to be counted as a for value transfer as part of a legitimate spend-down and not a gift that will trigger a penalty period for Medicaid purposes.The biggest question that arises in regards to caregiver agreements is what the parent should pay for services. This is often a very difficult question because there are certainly competing interests at stake. For the parent receiving the care, they genuinely would like to pay full market value and as much as they can without there being a penalty created. This will legitimately reduce the value of their estate, but benefit the child who is providing services for their care on a daily basis.On the other hand, if there are other children who are not providing the care they often feel slighted or that the other sibling is receiving more than their fair share.This is very difficult because the children who are not providing the care want the amount to be paid to be the least amount possible to potentially raise the amount that will be left for them and their siblings to share.However, if the parent does not spend down their assets legitimately, the money can be lost to long-term care costs, and there may not be anything left for anybody.This inheritance rub is one of the most difficult things involved with a family caregiver because of the potential conflict that it may create among the family members.At the end of the day, fair market value is generally set in, in this context, by what other professionals and people are charging for similar services. As long as you can stay within the realm of what others are charging for similar services, the Department of Human Services will not raise a red flag. However, that does not mean that other children or other family members may not question the motives of their family member providing the services and the amount of the payment.We believe it is important to have all parties abreast of the information and informed so that we can potentially avoid unwanted conflict in the future. We always advise the advice of a professional to assist with these potential implications, and ensuring that the agreements are written properly to comply with DHS and Medicaid standards.If you are looking for advice in regards to estate planning, please call our office at 717-844-9639 or click the link here and we will contact you.

Have you recently purchased a home or made any changes to your propertys deed? Have you received an unexpected letter offering a copy of your deed for a fee? If so, youve likely encountered spam mail.Theres a company known as Land Solutions based in California that sends out Recorder of Deed Notices to individuals with newly recorded deeds. These notices claim that you can obtain a copy of your deed for a service fee of $109.00. Since the transfer of a deed is a matter of public record, they can easily access your name, address, and property information. While what theyre doing may not be a scam, we prefer to refer to it as spam. The truth is, the party responsible for transferring the deed, or even your local recorder of deeds, can provide you with a copy for a small fee or sometimes even for free. Theres no need to pay a separate company for this service.At Bellomo & Associates, many of our clients have received this type of letter, and we are delighted that they reached out to us before paying an unnecessary fee for a document we already possess on their behalf.When you receive such correspondence after making any changes, its crucial to research the company that sent it, reach out to the parties you were working with, and carefully read the fine print. In the case of these specific notices, the fine print typically states that it is not a bill but a solicitation, and you are not legally obligated to pay the amount requested.Together, we can minimize the impact of spam by working collectively and staying informed.  

Even if you or a family member are excited to be moving to a senior living community or new home, there are bound to be a mix of emotions. Moving can be stressful and challenging even in the best of circumstances.   To help you and family members navigate your next move, weve gathered a few of our favorite tips to make handling all the emotional ups and downs a bit easier.    Get enough rest and dont skip meals  In the hustle and bustle of planning a move, its important to take care of yourself. Getting sleep and making sure youre eating properly can help keep your energy up and manage your emotions.    Work the way that works for you Some people are list makers. Others do better with a more unstructured plan. Take a minute to think how you best handle large projects and apply that to your move. Use the process that feels the most comfortable for your situation.    Break up big tasks Looking at a huge move can be overwhelming. Instead, break your tasks into smaller ones. Dont try to tackle the entire kitchen in one long day; take it one drawer at a time. Youll be less likely to get overwhelmed.    Let your feelings flow  Bottling up your emotions may backfire in the long run. If you need to have a good cry or get irritated, its perfectly normal. Let yourself feel the way you feel and then you can move on to the next day or task.    Ask for help  No one has to move alone. Reaching out to family, friends and professionals like the team at WayForth for help organizing, packing and cleaning can relieve some of the feelings of stress and worry.