Republican politicians have recently referred to Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme". This is an absurd misrepresentation of a program that has helped keep many of America's senior citizens out of poverty. Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, in a recent debate, stated "it is a Ponzi scheme to tell our kids that are 25 or 30 years old today, you're … [Read more...]
Nursing Home Expenses are Rising
It now costs more than $400 a day to stay in a semi-private room in a nursing home in the Metropolitan New York area. The cost of nursing home care in the state of New York is rising at a fast pace. It is estimated that in ten years the rates for a semi-private room in a nursing home will be in excess of $600 a day. High Cost of Nursing Home … [Read more...]
Easing Into Retirement
When Is The Right Time to Retire? It’s hard to say when it's right time to retire; however, it is easy to say it is the wrong time to retire. You shouldn’t retire unless you have sufficient funds to carry you through your golden years. In the past, most people retired in their sixties. With declining savings and living costs going up, many … [Read more...]
Fewer Family Practice Doctors
Fewer doctors in the United States are going into family practice. Solo medical practitioners involved in family practices are becoming scarcer. The American Academy of Family Physicians, in 1986, represented forty-four percent of the practicing doctors. As of 2008, only eighteen percent of practicing physicians are in family practice and that … [Read more...]
Concierge Medical Coverage
Today, there is a new phenomenon in medical care. Individuals are paying their doctors a fixed annual fee. They pay their doctors this fixed annual fee whether they use their services or not. The fixed annual fee is usually in the area of $1,500 a year. The annual fee is for what is now referred to as concierge medicine. Concierge medicine … [Read more...]
Abuse of the Elderly for Financial Gain
In the year 2000, Howard Thomas suffered severe dementia. He also had terminal cancer. In early 2001, his daughter, who was his primary caretaker, took a short vacation. He was left in the care of a Nidia Thomas. While Mr. Thomas’s daughter was away, Nidia arranged for a $150,000 bank account in Mr. Thomas’s name to be retitled from his name to a … [Read more...]
Dealing With Nursing Home Abuse of Senior Citizens
When you place a loved one in a nursing home, it is your hope that they are going to be cared for. The nursing home is responsible for meeting their needs for food, shelter and medical care. There has been a significant number of cases in recent years where nursing homes have not provided the high-level of care that is their obligation. In some … [Read more...]
Caring for Senior Citizens From Long Distance
When we were born, our parents cared for us. Are we up to the task of taking care of our parents when they grow old? This is especially difficult when you don't live near your parents. Siblings Nearby Some people are lucky, in that a brother or sister lives near their parents. While the sibling becomes the primary caretaker, it is … [Read more...]
Senior Citizens Filing Bankruptcy
Many seniors no longer have sufficient assets to maintain their lifestyles. There is a tendency in these situations to go into debt. Seniors use credit cards to finance routine purchases with the hope that they will be able to pay their credit cards back at some point in the future. In some instances, they are unable to accomplish this goal. … [Read more...]
Prosecutor Investigating Reclusive Heiress’s Fortune
Ms. Huguettem Clark owns a 52-acre estate in New Canaan, Connecticut. The estate has been unoccupied for more than twenty years. During this entire period, Ms. Clark has been residing in a hospital. She has been active in the society pages of various newspapers and has made many charitable contributions. Ms. Clark in now 104 years of age. … [Read more...]