» long-term care planning

ABLE Accounts – Saving for Future Qualified Disability Expenses

There is a relatively new planning technique in Florida that allows persons who were disabled before age 26 to save for future qualified disability expenses. These savings accounts are called ABLE Accounts. It all started in December 2014 when The Stephen Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act was enacted by Congress. The […]

Are Social Security Benefits Taxable?

Individual income tax returns for 2015 are due by April 18, 2016. The IRS filing deadline is usually April 15, but this year’s deadline has been pushed to the following Monday because April 15 is a legal holiday. A portion of your Social Security benefits may be taxable depending on the amount of benefits you […]

Will You Be Able to Stay at Home When the Need for Long Term Care Arrives?

Most folks prefer to stay in their own homes rather than residency in an assisted living facility or a skilled care nursing home. Simply, people consider in-home care generally preferable to institutional care. However in home care is very expensive and is typically more expensive than institutional care unless family members are relied upon to […]

Is Long-Term Care Insurance For You?

Obviously the younger you are when you purchase long term care insurance, the lower the premiums will be. Is that savings worth the cost over this long haul if you are in you 40’s or 50’s? Do you want to purchase insurance that you are unlikely to need for 30 to 40 years? The long-term […]

Paying for Assisted Living and Nursing Home Costs

Long term care costs including assisted living facilities have a wide range of costs depending on the level of care required. Assisted living facilities that provide an extended care unit can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month. Nursing homes can cost as much as $7,500 per month. Each facility may offer many levels of […]

Will You Need Long Term Care?

At least 70 percent of people over the age of 65 will require long-term care services at some point in their lives. Medicare and private health insurance programs do not pay for the majority of long-term care services that most people need – help with personal care such as dressing, use of the bathroom independently, […]

Social Security Ups and Downs

New for 2012 Social Security recipients will be receiving more money in 2012, thanks to a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment. This is the first boost in payments since 2009, when the increase was 5.8%. The maximum Social Security benefit for workers retiring at full retirement age is $2,513 per month, compared with $2,366 in 2011, although […]

10 Tips To Avoid Breast Cancer

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Do you have questions or concerns about the possibility of breast cancer for you or a loved one? In honor of this month and what it stands for, here are Caring.com’s top ten ways to prevent breast cancer. Get regular mammograms. It sounds obvious, but you’d […]

Assisted Living Facility in Lakeland Receives Flowers From Elder Law Firm

On June 9, The Elder Law Firm of Clements and Wallace P.L. spent the day delivering flowers to the residents of Lake Morton Plaza, an assisted living facility located at 400 South Florida Avenue in Lakeland, FL. I had the pleasure of being one of the staff participating in this public service. We began on […]

Tax Tips for Caregivers

According to IRS Publication 502, caregivers are entitled to the following benefits: Dependents – You can claim your parent or other loved one as a dependent if you provide more than half the support for a relative. This includes nursing home and assisted living expenses if you are helping with financial support. Wheelchair – If […]

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