Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog


medicaid worries
Long-Term Care Costs Increase Sharply
October 19, 2017

Genworth Financial has released its 2017 survey of long-term care costs. The picture is not encouraging. Although the cost of care has always been shockingly expensive, and increased annually without fail, the rate of increase seems to be picking up….

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ombudsman
Nursing Home Residents, Family Can Call On Their Ombudsman for Help
September 10, 2017

Being a resident in a long-term care facility does not mean giving up your legal rights. In fact, anyone who lives in a nursing facility gains certain rights. You can see a summary of those rights here, and read the…

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campbell
Six years post diagnosis, Glen Campbell’s wife reports on the Rhinestone Cowboy
March 21, 2017

As reported in a 2013 post, acclaimed country music singer-songwriter Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2011. This was not entirely a shock to his fans, who had noticed the Rhinestone Cowboy forgetting lyrics during performances. At home, he…

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Businesswoman filling out contract on a glass table.
How NOT to sign a nursing home admissions agreement
December 20, 2016

A recent Florida Supreme Court ruling underscores the importance of having a valid power of attorney, as well as the importance of being careful when signing a nursing home agreement for a loved one. Juan Mendez Sr. was admitted to…

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Portrait of an elderly woman sitting alone in a senior care facility
Enforcement of CMS rule prohibiting pre-dispute arbitration clauses will be delayed
November 11, 2016

A new rule barring long-term care facilities from including pre-dispute forced arbitration clauses in their admissions contracts will not go into effect on November 28, as originally anticipated. (Discussed the rule in an earlier post. ) In response to a…

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myths and facts
Florida Medicaid Myths
November 8, 2016

In Florida, the average annual cost of a private room at a long-term nursing facility now hovers upwards of $90,000 annually, with a semi-private room around $83,000. With the oldest Baby Boomers turning 70 and the escalating incidence of chronic…

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nursing home arbitration
Nursing home arbitration clauses no longer permitted
October 7, 2016

SEE NOVEMBER 10, 2016 STATUS UPDATE ON THE NEW CMS RULE. CLICK HERE. Pre-dispute binding arbitration clauses will no longer be permitted in nursing home admissions contracts, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has ruled. The new rule goes…

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long-term care
How will you pay for long-term care?
May 19, 2016

Genworth just released its latest analysis of long-term care costs. The numbers are startling. The cost Nationally, the current median cost for a semi-private room in a nursing home is $82,125 per year; for a private room, $92,378. That’s an…

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Fine Print
Don’t sign the nursing home’s mandatory arbitration clause
April 17, 2016

Admitting a loved one to a nursing home can be a deeply  emotional, troubling experience, but it is important to keep your wits about you. In prior posts (read more here and here) we advised you to read the fine…

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Senior Man in Wheelchair
Will Medicare pay for your Florida nursing home?
July 7, 2012

Are you one of the many Florida residents relying on Medicare to pay your way if you ever need nursing home care? Depending on what you mean by “nursing home,” you, your family and your pocketbook could be in for…

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