Spousal Refusal In New York — Just Say No?

First, the good news: Despite another attempt by the New York governor to eliminate spousal refusal from this year’s budget for community-based care, the budget was passed by the legislature this week without this change. What Is Spousal Refusal, And Why Is It Important? Let’s say your dad is in a nursing home, but your… Read More »

Medicaid: The Middle Class Safety Net

As this article in today’s New York Times points out, Medicare is getting the bulk of the attention in this election campaign, while more attention needs to be focused on the problem of Medicaid. “Medicaid has long conjured up images of inner-city clinics jammed with poor families. Its far less-visible role is as the only… Read More »

Does Size Matter?

Does the size of your brain predict the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease?  One study released December 2011 in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, finds that smaller brain size has a high correlation with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.    Technically, the researchers found that the thickness of regions of… Read More »

There's a Criminal Employed in Your Nursing Home

The Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a report this past March, analyzing 35,000 nursing home employee records of nursing homes against criminal records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).   92% of nursing homes employ one or more people with a criminal conviction.  Nearly half of nursing homes employed… Read More »

Big Banks Exit Reverse Mortgage Market

What is a Reverse Mortgage?   Seniors (you must be over age 62) can tap the home equity in their homes by obtaining a reverse mortgage in either a lump sum or multiple payments.  The homeowner is not obligated to repay the loan, and the payment is deferred until the homeowner dies, sells the home,… Read More »