Top Medicaid Myths

Medicaid was considered a complicated program when President Lyndon B. Johnson first signed it into law at the Truman Library inIndependence, Missouri, and it has grown even more complex duringeach of the thirty years since.

Although it is a national program, it is administered by each state. The rules and regulations are constantly changing and canvary widely from state to state. So, it's no wonder there are many myths and inaccuracies surrounding the program.

This month, we are taking a look at the common misconceptions we hear frequently about Medicaid.

"My mother heard about someone who..."

All too often, we meet people who have heard horror stories about Medicaid from well-meaning friends or family members. These stories are often filled with inaccuracies and half-truths that frighten people into spending every last dime on nursing home carefor themselves or a loved one before turning to Medicaid for help.

Similar stories have also prompted people to assume that what worked for a friend will work for them as well. So, they may give their house or all of their assets to a child in hopes that impoverishing themselves will immediately qualify them for benefits. Unfortunately, they soon find out that these transfers mean they are unable to receive benefits for several months or even years after the money is gone.

That's why it is important to contact an attorney who concentrates his or her practice in elder law. With a clear picture of your specific situation, an elder law attorney can explain those laws that should allow an individual or married couple to preserve their house and enough of their assets to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

"My father is already in the nursing home so there's nothing we can do now."

It's true that a family can wait longer than they should to contact an elder law attorney but it's rarely ever too late to establish a good plan. A good rule of thumb is that the earlier a plan is put in place, the more assets can be preserved.

So, when is the right time to call an elder law attorney? You should pick up the phone right now if you or a loved one does not have a Power of Attorney in place for financial and health care decisions. It's important these documents are put in place before a gradual or sudden decline in mental competency occurs. It's also important to make sure the financial Power of Attorney contains the right language so Medicaid planning is possible.

You should also call right now if you think that nursing home care will be needed by a loved one. This may be due to a diagnosis of a terminal or debilitating illness, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or ALS. It may also be that your loved one is being discharged from the hospital and told he or she will be unable tocare for themselves at home. All of these situations should be reviewed by an elder law attorney to determine what type of planning can be done.

"The Medicaid office can just give me the paperwork."

Those who work in the Medicaid office cannot offer you legal advice. You may not learn about laws that may allow you to receive Medicaid and still keep part or all of your spouse's income as wellas your own. Nor can they represent you or give you advice on the laws that, depending on your specific situation, may allow you tokeep all of your assets without spending down a single penny. Medicaid has rules and regulations in place to ensure families don't lose everything to nursing home costs. An elder law attorney can explain how those laws may benefit you and your family.

Brian Willie is an Elder Law Attorney in California and Texas, and is a frequent author and speaker on the topic. He is the founder of the Alzheimer's Legal Resource Center. For more information visit: http://www.alrconline.com

Thank you to all caring for those with Alzheimers and related dementias this July 4th and beyond

Author and Alzheimers healthcare professional, Susan Berg wants to take this opportunity to thank you for all you do everyday to enrich the lives of an Alzheimers person.

Berg has shared some ideas that may make your Independence Day more enjoyable.

Click here to discover what they are.

Here are a couple of them that are easy, fun, and failure free

8. Have a picnic perhaps using the ideas from your plans. If the person with dementia does not want to go outside, no problem, have the picnic inside.

7. Go to the beach or the park. Go at off times to avoid the crowd. You can always go on different day. Again if you fear a negative reaction to going to the beach, bring the beach to your home. Get some sand, sea shells and other beach paraphernalia

6 Have a small get together at home. Hire or have someone to assist the Alzheimers person

Also feel free to comment on your 4th of July activities with Alzheimers folks

Thanks again

People With Dementia Should Avoid Certain Drugs

By Jeanine Kendle
The elderly with dementia generally tolerate drugs more poorly than healthy older individuals. Increased sensitivity to certain side effects, difficulty following drug regimens and decreased ability to recognize and report adverse events are common reasons.
The elderly with dementia also are susceptible to develop drug- induced cognitive impairment (loss of the ability to reason) than other healthy adults.
Medications with strong anticholinergic side effects, such as antihistamines that cause drowsiness, are well known for causing acute cognitive impairment in individuals with dementia. Anticholinergic-like effects, such as urinary retention and dry mouth, also have been identified in drugs not typically associated with major AC side effects such as narcotics (powerful pain relievers) and benzodiazepines (generally used as tranquilizers or for sleep).
These drugs also are important causes of acute confusional episodes. The factors that may determine whether a patient will develop cognitive impairment when exposed to ACs include:
1. the number of AC drugs and the doses of the drugs used;
2. baseline cognitive function (determines susceptibility);
3. the individual's response to medications (sensitivity and metabolic processing as determined by their liver and kidney function status).
click here to see all the drugs to avoid

Exonhit says EHT 0202 could be 'major therapeutic breakthrough' in Alzheimer's and other dementias

PARIS (Thomson Financial) - ExonHit Therapeutics' EHT 0202 compound could be a 'major therapeutic breakthrough' in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the company said.
In a preview of a presentation to be given at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago from July 26 to 31, ExonHit said it is developing two proprietary programmes in Alzheimer's disease.
EHT 0202, currently in phase II of clinical trials, is based on a mechanism to redirect the processing of APP (Amyloid Precursor Protein), which is pivotal in the evolution of Alzheimer's disease, the company said.
The second programme, EHT 206, is in pre-clinical stage and focuses on the development of chemical entities aiming at inhibiting the formation of senile plaques, largely composed of aggregated beta amyloid peptides, the company said.
These plaques play a major role in the loss of cognitive functions in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, it said.

for more about this click here

More info click here

Home Safety for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

When caring for an individual suffering from Alzheimer's or a related dementia, it's
important to make sure they're in a safe and supportive environment
where their needs are met and the chance of injury is low.
Creating a home that meets the dementia person's needs will not only make their
lives easier, but yours as well.

People with Alzheimer's or a related dementia often engage in wandering behavior so limit their access to the outdoors and dangerous areas inside the home.
Cover doors and locks with cloth or paint to disguise them and
install deadbolts high or low on exterior doors to make it
difficult for your loved one to wander outside. Remove locks in
bathrooms and bedrooms to ensure that he or she does not lock
themselves inside where you have no access to them. To protect
your loved one from dangerous appliances and household cleaners,
install child-proof locks and door knob covers.

As Alzheimer's progresses, vision changes and patients may not be
able to distinguish colors or be able to understand what they are
seeing. To ensure the maximum amount of visibility for your loved
one, diffuse glare and bright lights by removing any mirrors or
furniture with glass tops from the home. Put shades or blinds on
the windows and add extra lighting to entryways, stairways,
bathrooms and hallways. At night, place nightlights throughout the
home to ensure they can see if they need to get up and use the
bathroom.

Daily activities that were once familiar may become more difficult
for your loved one to do safely. Keep an eye on the temperature of
his or her food and drink because they may not be able to
distinguish the difference themselves. Install walk-in showers and
grab bars in the bathroom to allow them to move around safely and
independently. If you have rugs resting on wooden, linoleum or
tiled floors, make sure they're kept in place with adhesive to
prevent falls.

Because a person with Alzheimer's or another dementia, may not always be able to tell
the difference between fresh and rotten food, clean out your
refrigerator on a regular basis so they don't eat something that
will make them sick. Remove the knobs from your kitchen stove
burners to prevent fires and eliminate all electrical appliances
from your bathroom to reduce the risk of electrical shock. Though
these precautions may seem unnecessary and extreme, keep in mind
that an individual with Alzheimer's can forget why certain things
shouldn't be done and what is considered dangerous.

For more information click here
or click here

Low levels of good cholesterol linked to memory loss, dementia risk

Journal study highlights:
• Low levels of good cholesterol are associated with diminished memory by age 60.
• Researchers encourage physicians to monitor levels of good cholesterol.

DALLAS, July 1 — Low levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) — the “good” cholesterol — in middle age may increase the risk of memory loss and lead to dementia later in life, researchers reported in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Observing 3,673 participants (26.8 percent women) from the Whitehall II study, researchers found that falling levels of HDL cholesterol were predictors of declining memory by age 60. Whitehall II, which began in 1985, is long-term health examination of more than 10,000 British civil servants working in London.

“Memory problems are key in the diagnosis of dementia,” said Archana Singh-Manoux, Ph.D., lead author of the study and Senior Research Fellow with the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM, France) and the University College London in England. “We found that a low level of HDL may be a risk factor for memory loss in late midlife. This suggests that low HDL cholesterol might also be a risk factor for dementia
click here for the whole press release

Communicating With an Alzheimer's Patient

As Alzheimer's progresses, it diminishes a person's ability to
communicate with others and makes it difficult for caregivers to
fully understand a loved ones needs. Alzheimer's patients not only
have a difficult time speaking and expressing their thoughts,
feelings and emotions, but also have trouble understanding others
and tend to confuse words and general conversation. Learning to
communicate with a loved one who has Alzheimer's is essential
because it helps to understand their daily needs.

There are several changes that take place in the communication of a
person with Alzheimer's and you may notice that your loved one has
difficulty finding the right words, uses words they're familiar
with over and over and invents words that don't exist to describe
familiar objects. They may easily lose their train of thought,
have difficulty organizing words in a sentence and begin speaking
in their native language.

When they sense they're not properly communicating, people with
Alzheimer's tend to become agitated and use curse words and stop
speaking all together. Instead of relying on their words, they
might begin using gestures and pointing to convey their message.
Though the process can be frustrating, for both the Alzheimer's
patient and caregiver, it's important to familiarize with your
loved ones gestures and invented words so they're able to
communicate more efficiently.

Make sure your loved one always knows that you're listening and
trying to understand what they're saying. Be patient and make eye
contact, allowing them to finish what they're trying to say without
prodding, corrections or criticism. If your loved one is having
difficulty finding the right word, help them by guessing which word
they're referring to and if you cannot guess, ask them to make a
gesture or point to something that relates to what they're trying
to say.

Patience is the key to communicating with a loved one suffering
from Alzheimer's and if you focus on their feelings, rather than
the facts, you may have a deeper understanding of what they're
really trying to say. Talking slowly, using short sentences and
repeating information can help them to process information easier
with less confusion and frustration.

Brian Willie is an Elder Law Attorney in California and Texas, and is a frequent author and speaker on the topic. He is the founder of the Alzheimer's Legal Resource Center. For more information visit: http://www.alrconline.com