Elder Law

The past year has been one for the books, for sure. The persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives on so many levels. Unfortunately, the social distancing measures, while an integral part of keeping our loved ones safe and healthy, has had some intended consequences. For instance, the elderly population, at risk for feeling isolated even under the best of circumstances, has started feeling more isolated than ever. With friends and family under tight restrictions from visiting, your elder loved one may have been feeling increasingly lonely and isolated during the pandemic.

It has never been easy to find the proper medical setting for an elderly individual you love. Knowing it will be difficult for your relative to live away from home in a communal setting, especially with medical and perhaps mental or psychiatric issues, you naturally want the very best care possible. Add to this the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the world, having hit nursing homes especially hard, and the task of finding a home for your loved one may seem overwhelming.

At Merlino & Gonzalez, where we frequently have clients from Staten Island and New Jersey facing this challenging situation, we have some advice about how to proceed. We know that once your relative reaches a point at which round the clock care is necessary, very few people have the time or stamina to tend him or her at home, and even fewer can afford to pay for ongoing private nursing care.

Both Medicare and Medicaid are government-sponsored, taxpayer-funded programs that are intended to help Americans cover the costs associated with healthcare. Additionally, both programs were established back in 1965. With similar-sounding names and the fact that both are intended to cover healthcare costs, many people confuse the two. There are, however, important distinctive qualities between the two programs. Here, we discuss the differences between Medicare and Medicaid.

Q: How do I plan for nursing home care?

New York and New Jersey elder law attorneys help the elderly and their adult children plan for how their golden years will be spent.

While most people hope to avoid ending up in a nursing home, that is not always possible. So Read more . . .