by Twyla Sketchley | Mar 25, 2016 | Caregivers, Nursing Home
A benefit period under Medicare is also referred to as a “spell of illness”. It defines a period of time over which Medicare benefits pay and certain co-pays apply. A spell of illness begins on the day a Medicare patient is admitted to a hospital or...
by Twyla Sketchley | Mar 13, 2016 | Caregivers, Disability
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for individuals age 65 or older or individuals with a disability. To qualify for Medicare, an individual or his spouse must have worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. An individual is also eligible if a...
by Twyla Sketchley | Mar 2, 2016 | Elder Law, Financial Assistance, Resources
Billions of dollars in unclaimed property are held by state governments throughout the United States. Individuals (or their legal representatives) who own that property often never know it exists. You or a loved one may be one of them. What is Unclaimed Property?...
by Twyla Sketchley | Feb 15, 2016 | Disability, Resources
In our last blog post, Should My Elderly Parents Stop Driving, we discussed the warning signs indicating an elderly parent is an unsafe driver. If you determine a parent may be unsafe to drive, there are three ways to address it: First, have a conversation with your...
by Twyla Sketchley | Feb 8, 2016 | Caregivers, Elder Law, Resources
Driving is a vital part of nearly every American’s life. Remember when you received your first driver’s license? The ability to drive represents freedom and independence. It is understandable that for the elderly the thought of losing the ability to drive...
by Twyla Sketchley | Jan 6, 2016 | Caregivers, Disability, Elder Law, Resources
Medicare Part A Hospital Co-Pay per Benefit Period $1288.00 Skilled Nursing Facility for Days 1-20 $0.00 Skilled Nursing Facility for Days 21-100 $161.00 Medicare Part B Premium per Month for Individuals with less than $85,000/year...
by Twyla Sketchley | Sep 13, 2015 | Caregivers, Resources
There are a number of benefits administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA): Retirement Benefits, Disability Benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Survivors Benefits. Often when individuals receiving Social Security or their caregivers need...
by Twyla Sketchley | Aug 19, 2015 | Attorney, Caregivers, News
The 2015 Christmas in July drive was a big success. We collected enough supplies for 50 Office of Public Guardian clients. This year our efforts were profiled in the Tallahassee Democrat Chronicle. If you would like to assist the Office of Public Guardian or know...
by Twyla Sketchley | Aug 18, 2015 | Nursing Home
When an individual is in a nursing home for long term care, the nursing home is considered the individual’s home. Because of the vulnerability of the resident, federal and state laws limit the reasons a resident can be discharged or evicted from the facility or...
by Twyla Sketchley | Aug 10, 2015 | Elder Care, Nursing Home
A nursing home that accepts Medicare or Medicaid as payment for services generally has to provide thirty (30) days notice prior to discharge. This applies regardless whether the resident’s care is being paid for by Medicare or Medicaid. There are some...