Researchers Find Bacteria Behind Many New Diseases

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Health experts have been advising people for years about unhealthy habits being the cause of “lifestyle” diseases that are increasing across the US. These lifestyle diseases become more common with age and include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease. Around the globe, these diseases account for 70 percent of all deaths. New Scientist magazine is reporting evidence suggesting bacteria are to blame for the diseases and that this finding will herald the coming of a revolution in medicine.

However, don’t stop healthy habits just yet; findings in disease after disease indicate that bacteria are covertly involved which complicates the problem. Bacteria will invade bodily organs and then co-opt the immune system in a sort of parasitic relationship as the bacteria boosts their survival while making the human body break down. In theory, if the bacteria microbes can be stopped, there is a potential to defeat disease conditions like heart attacks or Alzheimer’s.

How can such an all-encompassing and seemingly simple underlying cause be overlooked for decades? Bacteria have eluded scientists because they work very slowly. Like a terrorist sleeper cell, the bacteria can hide or lay dormant for long periods inside of cells, and that makes them difficult to grow as a culture. DNA sequencing informs scientists and researchers that bacteria are in places they were never known or supposed to be and shaping the body’s inflammation responses.

The medical community is up-ended by this startling paradigm shift in disease causation. The information is so contrary to the current medical understanding that some scientists and researchers are only cautiously optimistic. Many scientists have spent years looking for answers to the root cause of diseases and are left frustrated by their inability to identify the reasons.

The worst offenders in the link between bacteria and disease are gum diseases. So it is bacteria that cause gum disease that is responsible for the most widespread disease of aging. Maurizio Tonetti of the University of Hong Kong calls gum disease “the most prevalent disease of mankind.” Gum disease is prevalent in 60 percent of Americans aged 65 or more. Germ theory finds the bacterial culprit known as Porphyromonas gingivalis  (P. gingivalis) is linked to the broadest array of disease conditions.

Source New Scientist August 10-16, 2019

Source New Scientist August 10-16, 2019

Gum disease is releasing bacterial P. gingivalis into your bloodstream and promoting inflammation long before an infected tooth falls out. Americans 30 and older have a 43 percent rate of some form of gum disease, and many find dental insurance an added expense they didn’t think worth the price. What a price it turns out to be. Since bacteria cause diseases and bacteria are prevalent in the majority of Americans, what can be done to manage the role of these bacteria within the body’s immune system?

Some companies are developing drugs that will block specific inflammatory signals or responses to slow disease progression. Even if the goal to prevent a limited number of signals or responses is successful, it is unclear what tampering with the human immune system can unleash. While being a relatively simple identification with the advent of DNA sequencing, bacteria still manages to host itself in the body’s vastly complex immune system. This situation makes for a complicated fix.

Once P. gingivalis enters the bloodstream, it changes its surface protein. This change allows the bacteria to cloak itself inside the immune system’s white blood cells. Even within the cells themselves, they enter into its lining arteries. Here it can remain dormant and primarily undetected until it wakes to invade a new cell. Because bacteria are so hidden, antibiotics will not identify it to kill it, and immune defenses do not respond to it. There is much to consider from research and experimental perspectives.

Understanding the underlying cause of many diseases is a breakthrough, but an application for preventing disease based on this information is still in the developing stages. While the future does look brighter, it is always a good idea to live an overall healthy lifestyle.

If you have questions or would like to schedule a time to discuss your planning needs, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston, Louisiana office by calling (318) 255-1760.

 

Google May Have a New Use for Your Health Records

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When Google Inc became a publicly-traded company in 2004, its founders wrote a letter that said, in part, Google and its employees are “committed to significantly improving the lives of as many people as possible.” Google is famously known for its search engine and is part of many inter-related technology companies under the parent company Alphabet. High tech companies are becoming more plural in their pursuits and more pervasive in our daily lives than ever before. The mission of Google is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This mission now includes your health data.

Without explicit permission, Google’s Project Nightingale, under the corporation’s Cloud Division, is gathering the health records of millions of Americans to data-mine and ‘crunch’ comprehensive personal health records using artificial intelligence and machine learning. Some of the data categories include doctor diagnoses, lab results, hospitalization records, as well as patient names and dates of birth. In conjunction with the second-largest health system in the United States, St Louis-based Ascension, health care Project Nightingale’s task is “ultimately improving outcomes, reducing costs, and saving lives.”

As altruistic as that may seem, there is another goal that is, unsurprisingly, financially motivated. Documents show that both Google and nonprofit Ascension are hoping to create a centralized framework that, beyond improving patient care, identifies additional tests that may be necessary or other actions that can generate more revenue from patients. This goal is allegedly stated in documents. By engineering a comprehensive search tool for medical records Ascension and its chain of 2.600 hospitals, doctors’ offices, labs, and other facilities will have a system that can provide real-time (fast) records and project further medical activity based on information deemed as best patient outcome through the use of a medical search tool. Google gets the rights to its developed platform so that it can sell similar frameworks to other health systems.

Privacy experts assert that Project Nightingale is permissible under current federal law. Still, some Ascension employees are raising questions about transparency, data collection and sharing methods from a technological, as well as an ethical perspective. The recently published Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article about Nightingale came to be because of an anonymous whistleblower who shares the same concerns about privacy and transparency as some of the Ascension employees. Someone familiar with the project says there are currently at least 150 Google employees who already have unfettered access to the majority of the health data on tens of millions of patients, and neither doctors nor patients have been notified.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) generally allows for the sharing of data between hospitals and business partners without advising patients as long as the information in use is “only to help the covered entity carry out its health care functions.” According to what is known about Project Nightingale, this includes data mining to recommend more medical testing to monetize patients, at their weakest moment, when they are ill.

There is no doubt there is a privacy problem in the US because of the ubiquitous nature of technology in our daily lives, but what is the tradeoff? Certainly, no one would be against improving outcomes, reducing costs, and saving lives, but how the corporate world goes about innovations that will meet these goals must be completely transparent to the public when it comes to taking personal health information and records. In much the same way as social media entities monetize its user base for advertising revenue, a similar methodology is being employed in the health care world to increase revenue under the guise of creating better patient outcomes. How are costs going to be reduced when an allegedly documented goal of this project is to generate more revenue from patients? How are your medical records to remain private when behemoth corporate entities like Google and Ascension operate under the letter of the law but not its spirit? In the digital age, we find ourselves living in communicating openly and being transparent about goals is a good start.

If you have any questions or need guidance in your planning or planning for a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston, Louisiana office by calling (318) 255-1760.

 

Some Genetic Testing May Be Bogus

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An alert has been issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General about a fraud scheme that involves genetic testing. The warning is for Medicare beneficiaries across the nation, and the federal government is working with law enforcement to put an end to the schemes. Already charges against 35 individuals have been brought for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud that accounts for 2.1 billion dollars in losses nationwide. The scam is perpetrated on the Medicare system at large and individual level.

First, the “recruiters” or “marketers” bogusly involve themselves with their targeted Medicare seniors. Typically, the scammer targets the victim through door-to-door visits, telemarketing calls, and booths at public events or health fairs. Some schemes even target retirement communities, offering free ice cream sundaes or gift cards to learn about this fantastic new genetic testing technology.

The deception begins with the offer of “free” screening, testing kit sent to your home via the mail, or an onsite cheek swab for genetic testing followed by obtaining the person’s Medicare information for fraudulent billing activity or identity theft. If the scam artist (“recruiter”) is working with an unethical doctor, they will pay that doctor a kickback in exchange for ordering the test.

Once the lab processes the test, Medicare will reimburse the lab, and the lab then shares the proceeds of that reimbursement with the scammer. Genetic testing fraud occurs when an analysis or screening is performed but not ordered by a Medicare beneficiary’s treating physician and not considered medically necessary. If Medicare denies the claim, the recipient who permitted the screening becomes responsible for the entire cost of the test. The average price of personal genetic analysis ranges from 9,000 to 11,000 dollars.

Examples of genetic testing fraud can include, but are not limited to, the following screenings or tests:

  • Cancer and hereditary cancer
  • DNA
  • Dementia
  • Parkinson’s
  • Pharmacogenomics or medication metabolization

What is the best way to avoid the genetic testing scam? If you receive a genetic testing kit in the mail, do not accept it unless you are sure your physician ordered it. Make certain it is sent from the doctor-approved company before opening it. If your physician did not order the test, refuse the delivery of it or return it unopened to the sender while keeping a record of the sender’s name and the date the item was returned. You can also report the sender’s information directly to the HHS OIG Hotline. Be skeptical of anyone offering a free genetic testing kit in exchange for providing your Medicare number. Once they have your Medicare data, it is easy for a scammer to compromise your data in additional fraud schemes. Guard your Medicare information, and if anyone other than your physician’s office is requesting your Medicare number, do not provide it.

Medicare has a fraud hotline, and if you suspect you are a target, report the incident immediately. Again, you can report or submit a complaint to the HHS OIG Hotline.

Be sure to always review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Certain words or phrases indicate a questionable genetic test may have been completed. Words like laboratory, molecular pathology, and gene analysis are suspect and may indicate fraud, which you should immediately report as a billing error or possible fraud to your Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) or the Health and Human Services Hotline.

Genetic testing is a fantastic tool made possible by scientific advancement, human genome sequencing, and increased computing capabilities. Twenty-five years ago, obtaining personal genetic information was inconceivable, but today the data can be obtained with a saliva sample. The test can provide information about your ancestors and assess your disease risk. Because the tests are expensive, it did not take long for scam artists to find ways to extract illicit financial gains from Medicare and its beneficiaries. Be aware of how scam artists target you and your personal information to avoid being a victim.

If you need any help with your planning or planning for a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston office by calling us at (318) 255-1760.

 

Do Seniors Have Too Many Prescriptions?

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease in the US accounts for one in every four deaths or about 610,000 people. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women. And yet, mcknightsseniorliving.com is reporting that in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease deaths have increased by 123 percent while deaths from heart disease have decreased by 11 percent. Alzheimer’s is currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the US, and one of every three seniors dies with some form of dementia. These numbers should give the government, and the health care industry pause as the silver tsunami of baby boomers continues into retirement. Current projections of Alzheimer’s disease-associated costs could be as much as 1.1 trillion dollars.

Currently, Alzheimer’s disease has no cure, and there is little hope for a near term solution. One bright spot on the horizon is the application of precision medicine. Precision medicine essentially drops the “one-size” fits all treatment model. Instead, it customizes health solutions based on each individual’s unique situation using technology. This precision approach is increasingly moving into real-world clinical settings and meeting with success. The components of medical data needed for input include a patient’s genome, bio-specimens, medications, medical history, demographics, diet, and lifestyle. All of these elements play a role in the customization of a precision medicine health plan.

One company practicing precision medicine is uMethod. At umethod.com there is a program called RestoreU METHOD that blends diagnostic tests, cognitive assessment, and lifestyle review information and then tailors a specific plan for each patient. These patients are specifically suffering from mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia, or mild Alzheimer’s disease. A personalized precision medical plan leads to better outcomes for patients. Data from RestoreU Method Health’s clinical efforts are reporting a very promising 76 percent improvement of memory or at least a cessation of the patient’s decline in memory.

One analysis by uMethod studies indicates that participants were on average, taking 15 drugs (not related to Alzheimer’s). Many of those drugs were contributory factors to the patient’s cognitive decline. The technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), proved far better at identifying issues and adjusting medications accordingly. AI is faster and more accurate at identifying drug to drug and drug to genome interactions that may worsen symptoms of Alzheimer’s. A potential drug interaction is when two medications known to interact are concurrently prescribed whether or not an adverse event occurs. These drug interactions may very well provoke life-threatening consequences, especially in the case of an elderly, frail patient. Because many seniors have co-morbidities the risk of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) is substantially increased. Over the past decade, the use of multi-drug regimes among the elderly has risen tremendously, and thus, the increased need for technology to be able to assess their complex interactions reliably.

Processing big data about patients allows AI to apply medical knowledge to specific criteria and thoroughly and quickly present an array of medical solutions and plans. These plans are highly detailed for the attending physician but are simplified for the patient. As a patient’s symptoms change over time, updated data can be input, and AI can recommend therapy changes that best address a patient’s dementia issues.

Developing treatments and possible drug cures for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are going to remain a challenge for the foreseeable future. Multiple prescription medication interactions may be causing more harm than good to patients as the incidence of Alzheimer’s related deaths continues to increase at an alarming rate. What are your strategies in the event you become diagnosed with cognition problems that may lead to some form of dementia?

Typically, dementias have a long pre-clinical phase followed by mild, medium, and severe category assessments. Medical directives that are specifically designed to address dementia issues are available. Check into precision medicine and how it might become part of a dementia directive you would like to have.

Contact our Ruston office today by calling (318) 255-1760 and schedule an appointment to discuss how we can help you with your planning.

 

Emotional Support Animals for Seniors

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Most of us know what a service animal is, but the use of emotional support animals is becoming more and more common. So, what is an emotional support animal? An emotional support animal is a companion animal that provides benefits to a person who has an emotional or mental health disorder. In order to be characterized as an emotional support animal, documentation from a health professional must be obtained for the animal. Most commonly, these animals are dogs, but other animals can serve as emotional support animals. It is becoming more evident that these emotional support animals can provide some real benefits to the health and wellness of the senior population. Whether depressed, dealing with ongoing disabilities, or chronic illnesses, emotional support animals can be one of the best treatment options out there.

Emotional Support Animals and Physical Health

Emotional support animals can provide a reason for seniors to get out and remain active. For example, a dog needs to be walked. Walking the dog provides the seniors with physical exercise. Exercise is a much-needed part of a healthy lifestyle for seniors and can even improve mobility. The American Heart Association has even stated that people with heart disease who own a dog outlive those who do not. Similar health benefits can be found for other chronic illnesses such as diabetes. In arthritis sufferers, petting an animal can help to work out the arm.

Emotional Support Animals and Mental Health

Having an emotional support animal also helps to reduce depression and anxiety. It can reduce the stress hormone, cortisol, and increase serotonin, a feel-good hormone. Major triggers for depression in elderly people are loneliness and isolation. With an emotional support animal, many seniors often find companionship and friendship that helps them to cope with loneliness and isolation and can alleviate depression for the senior. It can also help in coping with the loss of a spouse.

In addition, having an emotional support animal can provide mental stimulation for seniors. This can come in the form of talking about animals or even reading about them. This is of great benefit to those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Often those with dementia or Alzheimer’s suffer from bouts of agitation, emotional support dogs can help to calm them down. Those who suffer from loss of appetite due to these diseases have had improved appetite having an emotional support animal.

Types of Emotional Support Animals

As previously stated, dogs are the most common of the emotional support animals, but there are other options. Cats, like dogs, are a fairly common choice. Birds can be an option for people who do not have a lot of space. Birds also do not require a lot of maintenance which makes them ideal for seniors. Birds come in many varieties, so be sure to research to find the right bird. Fish are an option for people who may be allergic to furry pets. The companionship offered by other pets is not there, but watching the fish can be calming and relaxing. Smaller furry animals such as rabbits, hamsters, mice, and even domestic rats. These animals also don’t require a lot of space but can be handled and many are affectionate animals, good for companionship.

The support for emotional support animals and seniors is fairly recent, but studies on the effectiveness of these animals continue to be surfacing. Service animals have proven to be of great service to people with disabilities over the years, but the benefits do not stop with service animals. If you or a loved one is experiencing chronic illness or mental disorders, consider talking to the family and doctor about getting an emotional support animal. This can greatly improve the quality of life and increase the length of life.

If you have any questions about something you have read or would like additional information, please feel free to contact our Ruston, Louisiana office by clicking here to send us a message or by calling us at (318) 255-1760.

Dementia Patients Have New Technology for Care

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The increasing number of seniors and near-seniors experiencing dementia in the United States is on a rapid rise. A hallmark of cognitive decline is a long pre-clinical phase followed by an actual medical diagnosis that progresses from early to middle and late-stage dementia. Poor memory, agitation, confusion, and understandable fear of the future are some of the first characteristics a senior may experience as cognitive decline takes hold. It is a frightening diagnosis for anyone’s future well-being.

When symptoms begin to show there are some relatively simple technologies available that will enhance the senior’s at home safety and provide a level of comfort as they begin their first steps in what can multi-year journey of dementia. These technology tools can reduce feelings of overwhelming for caregivers and their loved ones who are living with the disease. While some of the devices may seem quite simple to those without problems of cognition they can improve the quality of life for all involved.

People living with dementia often confuse day and night and can become distraught as they argue with a caregiver about time. A specially designed clock for those with dementia can alleviate the confusion and allow a caregiver to maintain routine behaviors. Some of these clocks do not give the actual time but rather a simple display design identifying morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Other clocks will display the date, time of day and day of the week in on either a 12 or 24-hour display which can be particularly helpful to a veteran who lived their life on military time. The clock also has a multilingual feature and can be set in 8 different languages.

Google has a screensaver clock app that is visible at all times displaying the day of the week and morning, afternoon and night. Many clock app designs allow for thousands of options allowing intensive customization. Finally, combination clocks with large magnifying aids and numbers offer both digital and analog, the day of the week, and more – all in oversized text.

Adaptive phones and video chat devices that are preprogrammed with frequently dialed numbers on large buttons or with picture identification allows a dementia patient ease of use in staying connected to loved ones. Staying in touch with friends and family is essential to the well-being of seniors experiencing cognitive decline. Often, a person living with dementia will forget what a person said or did, but they seem to be able to remember how it made them feel. The senior might hang up the phone after a FaceTime or Skype and not remember who they just spoke to but still feel better for it.

If the senior lives alone, electrical appliance use monitoring can alert a caregiver if an appliance has not turned on or off. This tool plugs into a power strip or wall outlet and can provide additional safety for the senior at home alone in the event a stove was left on, as well as let a caregiver know if the senior is remembering to eat or cook for themselves by monitoring the kitchen appliances.

People with dementia could wander and even become lost. Wearable GPS location and tracking devices have many options that can alert a caregiver what room in the home a loved one is occupying. If they walk outside to retrieve their mail and forget to come back in a caregiver can be alerted remotely and perform a location and wellness check. If the senior does not get out of bed and move to the kitchen for breakfast or a recliner to watch television a caregiver will be alerted. Anything that is outside of the expected routine of the senior with dementia can become an alert to a caregiver.

Companion care robots have several positive benefits in the homes of people with dementia. Robots can decrease rates of neglect or abuse by assisting an overwhelmed human caregiver. When a caregiver’s workload is reduced through the use of robots, they have more time to focus on human interaction, typically with a better attitude. Caregivers can then become better listeners and observers as well as have time to identify and address key patient issues. In the absence of a human caregiver a chatbot, similar to a smart home assistant, can bring conversation, daily reminders, read or play games and answer questions for a person living with dementia. Companion care robots are a new standard of caregiving because of the multitude of tasks it can perform and alerts it can provide.

Smart home environmental controls can adjust thermostats and turn lights on and off providing a safer and more comfortable living space. They are also capable of sending alerts via smartphones in the event of an unforeseen event or change in patterned patient behavior. Smart homes coupled with in-home cameras are a great way to ensure the safety of a person with dementia. Cameras that allow two-way conversation as well as provide a visual projection of medication sites, relaxation areas and more allow a remote caregiver to monitor their loved one’s movement. Alerts are sent if no motion has been detected for a set time.

Medication management and reminder messages provide additional support for a person living with dementia at home. Whether a high-tech pill dispenser or pillbox marked with days of the week, a vibrating alarm on a watch or scheduled audible reminder from a smart assistant or chatbot can help keep a patient taking the correct dosage of medication at the proper time. Medication management through technology tools helps avoid a potentially catastrophic situation of incorrect or no dosage.

These technology tools are useful to all seniors living at home but especially to those suffering cognitive decline. Establishing repeatable, patterned behavior through these tools creates a structure that alleviates some of the more frustrating aspects of losing memory. Caregivers can focus on the more human-oriented tasks and loved ones from far away can maintain a connection as well as monitor the well-being of their family members. As a family, and even in the absence of a dementia diagnosis, setting these tech tools in place is a smart idea for a senior living at home alone.

We hope you have found this information useful. If you have questions or would like to discuss your particular situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Ruston office by clicking here to send us a message or by dialing (318) 255-1760.

 

Virtual Care and Senior Living

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For care providers and aging seniors in the information age, the future is now.  While still with some challenges, the adoption of virtual care as a standard in senior living and aging services has become a fully integrated and accepted practice to overcome obstacles in senior healthcare.

Virtual care techniques have been in use for over a decade and have moved beyond the infancy stages. Several top providers of senior living care accept virtual care as an effective means to administer care. Furthermore, seniors and staff providing care recognize the value that technology-enabled solutions offer. If you are an aging senior, you are likely to experience some form of virtual care in your lifetime.

One of the more prevalent applications of virtual care is to overcome the challenges of staffing shortages and staff retention in care facilities. Recruiting, paying, and retaining the necessary staff for senior care is one of the most significant issues senior care facilities face as a whole. Virtual care can be made available during staffing shortages, particularly during after-hours and weekend care, as well as on holidays. Provider oversight includes platforms using audio and video virtually connected to a bedside 24 hours a day. This alert system will provoke human intervention in a crisis. The virtual monitoring of senior residents can alert a skeleton crew of care providers tied to the virtual platform in the event of an emergency to intervene and provide complex or urgent care that requires a human touch.

Advancing positive outcomes is a hallmark of virtual care for seniors. Proper implementation and oversight of virtual care systems can avoid unnecessary hospitalization which reduces health care costs as well as stress on aging seniors, their caregivers, and family. Because healthcare is becoming prohibitively expensive, senior care providers view virtual care implementation as a high priority for health care reform. The 2018 Telehealth Industry Trends presentation cites research showing that “…after hours skilled nursing virtual care providers have successfully treated more than 80 percent of skilled nursing residents in place using virtual care technologies.” Health care provided on-site helps residents avoid the expensive costs of hospitalization and the accompanying trauma associated with patient emergency hospital trips.

Virtual care is ideal for assisting the goals of the senior “aging in place” trend. Older adults are increasingly interested in technological applications to improve their aging experience and allow them to maintain healthy independence while remaining in their own homes. In the event of an adverse health event, remote monitoring and wearable technologies can alert care providers or loved ones immediately.  For seniors who have chronic conditions, this type of monitoring can bring peace of mind to know their health is being monitored 24 hours a day. By using an integrated virtual system, the senior also plays an active role in their well being. Home monitoring “smart speaker” service solutions for seniors are being aggressively developed and marketed by non-traditional healthcare companies like Amazon and Google.

Independent senior living will especially benefit through virtual care technologies in rural markets where seniors can often have trouble finding convenient care options. A major hurdle facing this trend is connectivity. Often times in rural environments internet connections are unreliable and sometimes nonexistent. Programs like Connect Americans Now are working to bridge the digital divide and provide reliable broadband connectivity for some 19.4 million Americans living in rural areas. Virtual systems can help monitor vital signs of health for difficult to reach senior populations as well as enhance social engagement to offset feelings of loneliness and isolation. These rural seniors benefit immensely by having ease of interaction with healthcare professionals and social contact with friends and loved ones. Overall, virtual care technologies can bring better health care and quality of life to rural seniors.

Virtual technology has a myriad of applications to benefit aging seniors. In senior living facilities it can augment staffing issues and still provide 24-hour monitoring and oversight. It can also make aging in place strategies for seniors much safer, particularly for those seniors in rural communities.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss care planning options for you or a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston, Louisiana office by clicking here to send us a message or by dialing (318) 255-1760.

 

Medicare, Medicaid, and Alphabet Soup

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Many people confuse Medicare and Medicaid. And why not? The words are similar, and both are government programs that have to do with health care. However, the programs are very different. A proper understanding of these two programs is necessary to make sure that you or your loved one does not misstep when making health care or long-term care decisions.

Medicare

Medicare does not pay for long-term nursing home care. Medicare is a health insurance program funded by and administered by the federal government. It is thus uniform from state to state.  As with any government program, a person must meet specific requirements before receiving Medicare. To qualify for Medicare benefits, one has to be at least 65 years old or have a severe disability.

To qualify at age 65, a person must be a United States citizen or a permanent legal resident that has lived here for at least five consecutive years. Additionally, he or she must have worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits. (He or she does not need to have started receiving those benefits.)  For a disabled person under the age of 65 to receive Medicare, he or she must have received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for two years.  (SSDI is not the same as SSI, which is Supplemental Security Income, a means-based program.) If a person meets Medicare’s eligibility requirements, he or she can receive Medicare without regard to his or her income or assets. Costs for Medicare are based on the recipient’s work history. This means that costs are determined by the amount of time a person paid Medicare taxes. These costs, like all insurance, include premiums, co-pays, and prescriptions.

Another thing that can be confusing about Medicare is its so-called alphabet soup of “plans” we all hear advertised. Part A works like hospitalization insurance. Part B works like the insurance one may have for medical bills. Parts A and B are covered in Original Medicare offered by the government. Part D is an optional plan that provides prescription drug coverage. Part C is often called the Medicare Advantage Plan. This is a private health plan. Medicare Part C plans are required to include the same coverage as Original Medicare, but they usually also include Part D. Part F, sometimes referred to as Medigap, is optional supplemental insurance that covers those costs that Medicare does not.  It is essential to do your homework on these plans to find what works best and is the most cost-effective.

Louisiana Medicaid

Medicaid is a health care assistance program administered at the state level. Although each state’s program is different, all must work within the guidelines that the federal government provides.  Medicaid eligibility is based on a person’s income and assets. Generally speaking, it is available to people with disabilities, people over age 65, children (and the parents of eligible children), and pregnant women.  In addition to covering health care costs, Medicaid can also pay for long-term nursing home care.  With proper planning by an elder law attorney, seniors can become qualified such that they have only a nursing home co-pay. Medicaid covers the rest. There are extensive regulations and laws that govern who can legally qualify for Medicaid, so it is essential to talk with a lawyer skilled in this field regarding your or a loved one’s eligibility.

If you are interested in learning more about how you or a loved one may be able to qualify for having Medicaid defer some or all of your or your loved one’s nursing home costs, please contact Ruston, Louisiana elder law attorney Add Goff at (318) 255-1760 or go to www.GoffandGoffAttorneys.com.

How Seniors Can Shop Safer

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When we think of shopping, there are certain risks that are always a possibility. Unfortunately, seniors are often more vulnerable to these risks. The holiday season often brings with it criminals who are targeting shoppers, both in stores and online. Below are some tips to help senior shoppers stay safe whether shopping with mobility issues, shopping in general, or shopping online.

General Shopping Safety Tips for Seniors

Shopping can often be overwhelming for all of us, including seniors. Seniors often are less mobile and may move more slowly than others in crowded stores, thus putting them at greater risk for criminal activity. Here are some tips to make shopping safe and successful for you or your elderly loved one.

  1. Shop early in the day, especially on weekdays, to avoid large crowds. Often this is a time when stores are less crowded and seniors can navigate the stores more easily. Another benefit to shopping on weekdays is that many stores offer senior discounts throughout the week. During weekends and evenings after work, many stores become overcrowded and more difficult to get around.
  2. Have a “shopping buddy.” Shopping with a friend gives added safety if you or your loved one has issues with mobility.  There’s much to the saying, “safety in numbers.” Plus, shopping with a buddy makes shopping more enjoyable.
  3. Don’t wait until the last minute. Often stores are busy in the last few days before the holidays. Shoppers can become less careful and more irritable which can present problems for seniors.
  4. Always keep your car locked and store packages in the trunk or out of sight. This will help deter thieves from breaking into the vehicle.
  5. Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If it is necessary to shop at night, park as close as possible to the door and always in well-lit areas. The light often serves to deter predators.
  6. Be aware of your surroundings and personal belongings. This can go a long way in helping to protect seniors from those who may attempt to take advantage of them or who may try to steal personal belongings.

Online Shopping Safety Tips for Seniors

There are many unscrupulous people who attempt to scam online shoppers. Being aware of this fact and shopping with eyes wide open is key in keeping financial information safe while online shopping. Below are some tips for seniors to remember while online shopping.

  1. Many online sellers offer excellent deals, but it is important to remember that if a deal seems too good to be true it probably is. Check on unknown companies. A quick Google search can provide reviews or information about the legitimacy of online companies.
  2. Create strong and unique passwords. This makes it more difficult for hackers and those trying to steal personal information to get into the accounts. Unique passwords can be difficult to remember, so be sure to keep them written down and in a safe place.
  3. Shop with trusted and known retailers. Most of these websites provide built-in security for their shoppers.
  4. Watch extra costs such as shipping. Companies will sometimes offer low prices, but then increase shipping prices to recoup some money.

For seniors, shopping can sometimes seem overwhelming no matter what method of shopping is chosen. It doesn’t have to be. It can be a fun and enjoyable experience just by following these safety tips.

If you have any questions about something you have read or would like additional information regarding planning for yourself or a loved one, please feel free to contact Goff & Goff Attorneys in Ruston, Louisiana by clicking here to send us a message or by calling us at (318) 255-1760.

 

Protecting Your Voting Rights with a Power of Attorney

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Your right to vote is a fundamental lynchpin of what it means to be a citizen – yet you could lose your right if you become a ward in a guardianship. Having a strong power of attorney is essential to avoid that drastic, but little-known, consequence.

A power of attorney gives a trusted person the authority to act on your behalf. Support like that is especially important if there is any question that you might have become unable to make decisions for yourself. Sometimes, however, that situation is far from clear. Elderly people can be dragged into unnecessary guardianship proceedings not of their choice.

This can happen, for example, if you are temporarily hospitalized and a not-so-friendly person – maybe related to you by a second marriage – sees an opportunity to seize control of your finances. Any adult person can file a petition seeking a guardianship. If you had designated your trusted agent before hospitalization, your agent could defend against that kind of predatory danger.

The danger is real. You could lose not only your money and your independence but also your right to vote. For example, until relatively recently a provision in the Arkansas Constitution stated that “no idiot or insane person shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.” That provision had the force of law until 2009. And again in Arkansas, once a person is placed in a guardianship, court approval is required before the ward is permitted to vote. Laws like these are by no means exceptional. Many states disqualify from voting persons who have been adjudicated incompetent, incapacitated, or of “unsound mind.”

But the standard to decide whose mind is “unsound” is far from clear. For example, a diagnosis of dementia can encompass a wildly variable population, depending on the point of view of the evaluating professional. And judges usually have no specialized education of their own in psychology.

Whether a person can handle their finances or retains the ability to drive, are far different questions from whether a person retains enough sense to vote. A citizen who votes for any winning candidate joins the majority of the electorate. Determining, in advance, that one vote of all those is irrational discriminates against that particular voter – when many uninformed voters, who might choose candidates based on the brilliance of their smile, say, would not be subjected to that kind of scrutiny.

How much better it would be, then, to avoid that battle in the first place. With the help of an elder law attorney, you can create an effective power of attorney that will do just this. Give us a call – we would be happy to help!

You can reach Goff & Goff Attorneys at our Ruston, Louisiana office by clicking here to send us a message for by dialing us at (318) 255-1760.