September 2018 Question of the Month I am a senior man providing care for my wife, who has memory issues – and I am exhausted. My children help me on the weekends, but my wife seems listless and bored and I am too tired to provide meaningful or creative activities for her. Do I [...]
August 2018 Question of the Month My father received a notice from his MLTC Plan that he would be re-assessed to see if he still needs the same hours of care by his aide. We think he needs more hours of care because my siblings and I can only care for him on the [...]
Is there a difference between Advance Care Directives for Health and a Health Care Proxy? Do I need more than the proxy if I become sick? Beth’s Answer: First, let’s define what a health care proxy is and does. The Health Care Proxy (also called "agent") has the authority to make all types of health [...]
Question: My spouse and I have settled our divorce. Our special needs child, now age 14, will receive $2,100.00 per month of child support until she is age 21. She is developmentally disabled. She will need her to keep her current Medicaid and when she is age 18. Is there a solution to keep the [...]
April 2018 Question of the Month My spouse and I have filed for divorce. We have two children. One child is age 17 with special needs. Everyone keeps telling us that we need a special needs trust and guardianship for our child, but I don’t know what that means. I am also concerned that not [...]
This month's question looks at the difference between a health care proxy in NY and a Living Will. A client asked this question: "I am in my late 80’s and widowed. I recently spoke with my family about how I want to be cared for if I become ill and about my wishes for “pulling [...]
This month’s question: "Can I save for my special needs child's future? She has a disability and will need Medicaid and SSI when she is age 18." Beth's answer: Yes, you can now save for your child's future without affecting Medicaid and SSI eligibility and without spending legal fees. As of September 2017, New York [...]