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A bill recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would finally allow military retirees to name special needs trusts as beneficiaries of Survivor Benefit Plans, a change that could dramatically improve the lives of military children with disabilities. Under the current military retirement system, a retired member of the military can elect to fund …

Having a loved one in a nursing home can be a confusing and emotional experience.   Understanding the various aspects of nursing home care and learning how to handle your concerns which may arise will greatly contribute to the success of your loved one’s stay.  These 12 tips will help improve your communication with the facility …

Today is National Health Care Decision day. The goal of this nationwide initiative is to ensure that all adults with decision-making capacity in America have both the information and the opportunity to communicate and document their future healthcare decisions. While making healthcare decisions is often difficult in the best of circumstances, making decisions for others …

The Social Security Administration has announced 52 new Compassionate Allowances conditions, primarily involving neurological disorders, cancers and rare diseases.  The Compassionate Allowances program expedites the process for disability decisions to ensure that individuals with serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of waiting for months or years. Social Security launched the Compassionate Allowances …

According to the CANHR Advocate, homeowners throughout California have been receiving notices from their “Local Records Office.” These notices are being sent from an organization called Norwalk, which is including the legally required statements on the notice, but the notices are set up to look like official government documents. Some homeowners have been confused by …

On or before April 6, 2012 the California Department of Public Health will require  all nursing homes to use a State issued Standard Admission Agreement (SAA). This means that all skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities will use the same standard agreement and attachments to the agreement, which will replace admissions contracts or agreements …

One of the hardest conversations to have with someone who has Alzheimer’s disease is the conversation about when they should stop driving.  Since driving requires the ability to make quick decisions and fast motor reactions, there will come a time when every person with Alzheimer’s will be unable to drive. In our culture we often …

I had the opportunity to participate in a dementia reality tour that our firm co-sponsored at Pacific Gardens.  The premise behind the tour is to experience what it is like to have dementia and to gain compassion and understanding from the experience. The tour began by dividing the participants into small groups and outfitting us …

Since 1999, the Social Security Administration (SSA) mailed annual Social Security Statements to you three months before your birthday.  These statements were a way to inform you about the amount of Social Security benefit that you would be entitled to receive at different retirement ages (based upon your current earnings), the disability benefit that you, …

The United States Department of Health and Human Services issued a news release today about the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  Some of the highlights include: Saturday, December 3, 2011 is the 19th Annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day to highlight efforts to improve the conditions of persons with disabilities. Across …