Tag Archives: nursing homes contra costa county

Protect Your Home From a Medi-Cal Lien With a Reserved Life Estate

Medi-Cal can pay for your stay in a skilled nursing facility if you qualify. Under the state’s regulations, your home can be confirmed as an exempt asset in the Medi-Cal application. This means that you can keep your home, if you are otherwise qualified, and still receive Medi-Cal. This is true whether you are single […]

MY DAD IS IN A NURSING HOME AND KEEPS LOSING HIS GLASSES, WALLET AND “TEETH”

This is a common complaint we receive from clients. My own father, while he was in a nursing home during his late 80’s, would constantly complain about losing his dentures, which he called his “teeth”. He would complain that someone kept stealing his teeth. I would say, “Dad, no one wants to steal your teeth!” […]

BEWARE OF SCAMMERS WHO PREY ON SENIORS

Scammers are consistently targeting older people. An older client of ours in Walnut Creek called us to ask how she could be taken to the airport so that she could give a courier $2,500 for a service fee. The service fee was apparently to ensure that she would receive $25,000 that she was told she […]

The New More Stringent Medi-Cal Qualification Rules Will Be Here Soon

Congress passed the DRA (Deficit Reduction Act) on February 8, 2006. This act makes qualification for Medi-Cal benefits much more difficult. Congress mandated that the various states adopt the DRA into their rules, and Governor Schwarzenegger signed the DRA into law in California on September 27, 2008. We have been informed that the new DRA rules […]

Dogs Have a Therapeutic Effect on Older People

My father spent some of his final months in a large assisted living facility. He was in his late 80’s, and was at times depressed and grouchy. Since the passing of my mother, he would not socialize easily, and would reject the entreaties of the resident ladies in the facility. He also would not participate […]

Where are Mom’s Papers?

It is very important to know where your loved one’s papers are! We are always trying to accomplish elder care planning as early as possible, so that we can get all of our ducks in a row before memories fade.   Last week we helped a family whose elderly mother needed long term care planning. The father had died almost two years earlier, […]

Medi-Cal Qualification – (CSRA) The Community Spouse Resource Allowance

For Medi-Cal qualification for married couples, generally speaking, the ill spouse can only keep $2,000 in liquid assets, plus exempt assets such as the home and IRAs.  In addition, the well spouse, also known as the community or at home spouse, can keep up to $113,640 in liquid assets, plus exempt assets. Any assets above […]

VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit Changes on the Horizon

We have qualified many of our clients for the VA Aid & Attendance Pension benefit, (A&A) which is available for wartime veterans or their surviving spouses, as part of their long term care plans. This program can pay the veteran over $19,000 per year, or the surviving spouse of the veteran over $12,000 per year.  […]

2012 CA Medi-Cal Quick Reference Guide

The following is our 2012 CA Medi-Cal Quick Reference Guide. Please refer to our website, http://www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com for a further explanation of Medi-Cal qualification requirements. 2012 CA Medi-Cal Quick Reference Guide Community Spouse Resource Allowance $113,640 This is the amount that the community, or (at home) well spouse can retain in liquid assets. This amount does not […]

Medi-Cal Qualification

This is a brief list of exempt assets for Medi-Cal qualification. Your home is generally exempt, and you can take steps to protect your home from a Medi-Cal lien after your death. Your household goods and personal belongs are exempt. You can have an exemption for one car. Term life insurance policies are excluded, but you cannot have […]