Some attorneys and others interested in the field of Medicaid Asset Protection may have been a bit worried about a recent case arising out of Wisconsin — Hedlund v. Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services (Wis. Ct. App., No. 2010AP3070, Oct. 13, 2011)

The basics of the case

In this case, the court affirmed a ruling that a Medicaid applicant who transferred assets to her children, who in turn put those same assets into an irrevocable trust for the Medicaid applicant’s benefit, is ineligible for Medicaid because the trust is a countable asset under state law,  despite the fact that the transfer occurred 17 years prior to applying for Medicaid.

Don’t Worry!

If you are an estate planning or elder law attorney offering pre-crisis Medicaid asset protection through the proper use of an irrevocable, income-only trust, it need not cause you any worry.

And if you are not an attorney but have created the right type of irrevocable, income-only asset protection trust, you, too need not worry.  The irrevocable, income-only asset protection trust I provide my own clients with is the Living Trust Plus™ — I’m happy to say the trust is just as effective as ever.

The opinion was released October 13^th and is a case-in-point example of how an improperly drafted irrevocable trust, along with a badly executed asset protection plan, will fail.  More information on the Living Trust Plus™ is available here.

The question before the court

The question for the court, based on its interpretation of a Wisconsin statute, was whether the trust was established by the children “at the direction or upon the request of” the Medicaid applicant.

Although the trust instrument in this case was irrevocable, the trust bore no relation to an income-only trust, but rather was a trust established by the children of the Medicaid applicant, using the exact assets previously gifted by the parents to the children.

This trust was apparently intended to be some sort of special needs trust because the trust instrument provided that the income and corpus of the trust were to be used only when no other funds are available and to supplement any funds the beneficiaries were entitled to receive as social security and medical assistance benefits.

However, though not addressed by the court, the trust was clearly defective as a special needs trust because the stated purpose of the trust was “to provide for the support and welfare of Clarence and Lucille Hedlund,” and a trust intended to provide for “support and welfare” is clearly not a special needs trust.

Why the court ruled the way it did

Most  importantly, the trust did not prohibit trust corpus from being distributed to the Settlors. On the contrary, the trust provided that the income and corpus of the trust were available to the Settlors.

So once the finding was made that the trust assets were “assets of the individual or the individual’s spouse” and “were used to form all or part of the corpus of the trust,” the finding that the assets were fully available to the Medicaid applicant was absolutely correct, because the trust allowed corpus to be used for the benefit of the Medicaid applicant.

A properly- prepared income-only trust, such as the Living Trust Plus™, would have avoided this result, because the Living Trust Plus™ is a trust that offers true asset protection in connection with Medicaid eligibility, as well as in connection with all other creditors.

For information on the Farr Law Firm’s service (Level 3) – The Living Trust Plus™ — follow this link and view the .PDF file. You may also notice other services you may need or have not thought of.  Planning for long-term care (whether for you or a spouse or a parent) is a difficult mental hurdle.  But the sooner you start, the more assets you can protect and the better quality and dignity of life loved ones can enjoy.

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Good news! For the first time since 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs has announced an increase in maximum  Aid and Attendance benefits available to veterans of the armed forces. These new figures for 2012 reflect a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment, effective December 1, 2011:

$20,447 per year (~$1,704 per month) for a qualified veteran;
$24,239 per year (~$2,020 per month ) if the veteran is married;
$13,138 per year (~$1,095 per month ) for a surviving spouse of a qualified veteran;
$31,578 per year (~$2,631 per month ) if both spouses are qualified veterans.

What is Veterans Aid & Attendance?

Veterans Aid & Attendance pension benefits are intended to be a form of financial assistance to meet the care needs of veterans and their surviving spouses. If you are younger than age 65, then you must be completely disabled in order to receive this benefit. Those over 65 do not have to be disabled. However, the veteran or spouse must be in need of regular aid and attendance due to: Inability of claimant to dress or undress himself (herself), or to keep himself (herself) ordinarily clean and presentable; frequent need of adjustment of any special prosthetic or orthopedic appliances which by reason of the particular disability cannot be done without aid (this will not include the adjustment of appliances which normal persons would be unable to adjust without aid, such as supports, belts, lacing at the back etc.); inability to feed himself (herself) through loss of coordination of upper extremities or through extreme weakness; inability to attend to the wants of nature; or incapacity, physical or mental, which requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect the claimant from hazards or dangers incident to his or her daily environment.

It is helpful to note that not all of the disabling conditions in the list above are required to exist. It is only necessary that the evidence establish that the veteran or spouse needs “regular” (scheduled and ongoing) aid and attendance from someone else–not that there be a 24-hour need.

How do I know if I can qualify for Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension Benefits?

You or your spouse must have served on active duty for at least 90 days, at least one day of which occurred during a period designated as wartime (see below). There must have been an honorable discharge as well. Single surviving spouses of such veterans are also eligible.

Periods Designated As Wartime:
World War II — December 7, 1941 through December 31, 1946
Korean Conflict — June 27, 1950 through January 31, 1955
Vietnam Era — August 5, 1964 through May 7, 1975; for veterans who served “in country” before August 5, 1964, February 28, 1961 through May 7, 1975
Gulf War — August 2, 1990 through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation

If you would like to learn more about the Veterans Aid & Attendance program and how the Farr Law Firm can help you obtain the benefits you deserve, contact us!

If you would like to sign up to receive Evan Farr’s Aid & Attendance 4-Part Mini Series via e-mail, please click here.

Filing a Veterans Aid & Attendance Claim

On October 14th, the Obama administration informed Congress that after 19 months of effort there is no “viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time.” The CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) was originally intended to give Americans an affordable public alternative to private-sector long-term care plans. You can read my take on the Act when it was originally introduced and an extended explanation on my blog.

The nail in the coffin was an unfavorable sustainability analysis: lawmakers wanted evidence the program would be sustainable for a minimum of 75 years, and that could not be shown. Further, the Act was controversial, a “budget gimmick” since its inception according to many Republicans. While the Act may be dead in the water for the time being, the administration hinted at other initiatives, noting, “even as we suspend work on implementing CLASS, we are recommitting ourselves to the ultimate goal of making sure Americans can get the long-term care they need.”

With the death of the CLASS Act, much of the American public will revert back to erroneously believing that long-term care insurance is the only way to protect assets from the devastating financial burden of long-term care. The reality is that only 1 in 10 Americans has long-term care insurance, despite the fact that nearly 7 in 10 will need long-term care. That means that nearly 60% of Americans will find themselves in dire straits when bleeding money for long-term care for themselves or a family member.

The good news is that there are dozens of ways to protect assets, most of which are much better, much less expensive, and much less risky than long-term care insurance. A certified Elder Law Attorney or a licensed Living Trust Plus™ Attorney can help clients every day achieve what long-term care insurance is intended to achieve, but which often falls short of attaining.

Read the full CNN report at this link.

Contact a Living Trust Plus™ Attorney in your state now to find out how the Living Trust Plus™ program can help you protect your assets against the debilitating costs of long-term care.

Asset Protection Planning with the Farr Law Firm

You may be aware that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, fewer people realize that before October, is September: National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.  More than 15,000 women will die from ovarian cancer this year, slightly less than half the number who will die from breast cancer (about 39,000).  The prevalence of all forms of cancers reminds me to remind my readers of the importance of Incapacity Planning and Asset Protection Planning.

According to HealthNews.com citing the American Cancer Society, “every year almost 22,000 American women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and more than 15,000 die from the disease.”  According to government statistics, 207,090 women are diagnosed [with breast cancer annually] . . . and 39,840 die [from the disease].

Ovarian cancer affects women in their middle-to-later years.  9 out of 10 women who get ovarian cancer are over the age of 40, and the greatest numbers of ovarian cancers are discovered in women aged 60 years or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Asset Protection Planning and Incapacity Planning are the vital legal services where an Elder Law attorney guides the individual (or couple) through the complex Medicaid qualification, application, and approval processes.   It may be necessary to employ a complex set of asset protection strategies, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in many cases.

Proper planning can protect the assets from nursing home creditors, allowing Americans from all walks of life to legally and ethically qualify for Medicaid and Veterans Benefits, passing on an inheritance if they so choose, and enjoy the standard of living and quality of life they prefer.

This September and October, remember the acronym, “RAP:” Recognize the risks, including your family history; Abstain from cancer-causing behavior like smoking and chronic inactivity; and Plan for the future, regardless of your current state of health.

More ovarian cancer articles you may be interested in:

Breakthrough in Ovarian Cancer Research Brings Hope
Do all contraceptives lower ovarian cancer risk?
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
Advance Care Plan Explained

Fun Memorial Day Facts

The Farr Law Firm wishes you and yours a Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Monday is Memorial Day, and we would like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to our many friends, colleagues, and peers who have made sacrifices to ensure our freedom and principles.

Here are a few fun facts* you may not have known about Memorial Day:

• Memorial Day was officially declared on May 5^th, 1868 by General John Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.
• The first state to officially recognize Memorial Day was New York in 1873.
• Soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small flags at each of the over 260,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery.  This has been taking place since the 1950’s.
• Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis place flags on 150,000 burial places at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
• You can thank Congress (’71) for your three day weekend.  Memorial Day has been a federal holiday since passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971.

• In 1988, 2,500 motorcyclists traveled to Washington, D.C. for the first ever Rolling Thunder demonstration.  By 2005, the numbers swelled to a half-million riders.

There is some related news worthy of mention:

The Honoring All Veterans Act of 2011 – introduced yesterday by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) –seeks to improve health care, education, employment, and housing for veterans.  “Our military men and women have kept their promises to our country, and now we must keep faith with them, not only in words but in deeds,” said Blumenthal.

For some couples, aid and attendance benefits may increase.  The Bill passed the House May 23rd and will need to pass the Senate next.   The legislation seems to be on the fast track to becoming law.  GovTrack reports, “the vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority . . . [usually reserved] . . . for non-controversial legislation. The totals were 380 Ayes, 0 Nays.”

The aid and attendance benefit would be increased for disabled veterans who are married to one another.

The Department of Veterans Affairs would gain a new source of key medical personnel through the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

The Veterans Administration would seek to remedy substance abuse by using data from state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP).

An Independent Board would review DOD/VA transition problems including benefits.

“Our nation must keep faith with men and women who serve and sacrifice for our freedom. Unfortunately and unconscionably, America is still failing them and their families by tolerating unemployment, homelessness and inadequate health care,” said Blumenthal.

“This legislation comes from listening to and working with veterans and their families. While the Honoring All Veterans Act addresses many critical needs, it is only an opening salvo in a sustained, unceasing campaign to ensure that no veteran is left behind. It is a down payment on a larger debt,” said Blumenthal, according to politicalnews.me. “Our military men and women have kept their promises to our country, and now we must keep faith with them, not only in words but in deeds.”

*Fun Facts Source(s):

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-25/living/mf.holiday.memorial.day_1_decoration-day-organization-of-union-veterans-wreaths-and-flags/3?_s=PM:LIVING

Evan H. Farr, CELA

When older adults think of estate planning, many actually have asset protection in mind. What they want is the peace of mind of knowing that the nest egg they’ve been saving for that proverbial “rainy day” will actually be available for them when that rainy day comes. The rainy day, for most people, is when they or their spouse enters a nursing home.  But estate planning and asset protection are two very different fields of law. Estate Planning documents do nothing to achieve asset protection, as Estate planning deals with distribution of assets upon death.  If you wind up going broke in a nursing home before your death, your Estate Plan will wind up being a worthless pile of paper.

These days most older adults use the Revocable Living Trust (RLT) as their primary Estate Planning document in order to minimize delays and expenses and avoid the “nightmare of probate.”  A Last Will and Testament is designed to put your estate into probate – an expensive and complex process that most people want to avoid at all costs.  Although the RLT can achieve this important goal of avoiding probate, a major limitation of the RLT is that it cannot accomplish asset protection. The RLT can’t shield your assets from nursing home expenses.  With the average cost of a nursing home room in the DC Metro area at around $9,000 per year, this is an important limitation of the RLT that every older adult needs to understand.

Is there a living trust that actually does protect assets in contemplation of future nursing home expenses?  Yes. You can protect your assets legally and effectively by using the Living Trust Plus^TM (LTP).  As opposed to the RLT which only avoids probate, the LTP is designed to protect your assets from the expenses and complexities of probate PLUS lawsuits PLUS nursing home expenses. The LTP functions very similarly to the RLT and maintains much of the flexibility of the RLT, but in addition to serving as your primary estate planning document, the LTP allows you to actually protect your nest egg from having to be “spent down” to pay for the catastrophic expenses often incurred in connection with nursing home long-term care.

If you’re over the age of 65 and you’ve been holding on to a nest egg for a rainy day, the time to get out the umbrella and protect the nest egg is now, while you’re still relatively healthy and living independently. To find out more, you can sign up yourself and your family to attend a free seminar on the Living Trust Plus^TM.

If you are an attorney and are interested in learning how you can offer your clients true asset protection, visit LivingTrustPlus.com and join the dozens of attorneys across the U.S. who have already educated themselves and embraced the LTP!

Evan H. Farr, Certified Elder Law Attorney

“Getting old is not for sissies” goes the quote. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges people face as they age is a seemingly inevitable and impending change to their living situation, whether it be due to health concerns, financial circumstances or both. This feared transition may not be so inevitable after all.  With the right plan, seniors can qualify for Medicaid, take advantage of today’s latest elder care technologies, and protect the assets which otherwise could be drained by the catastrophic costs of long-term care.

Most people are familiar with care options such as In-Home Care, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes.   But now, a fourth option is gaining popularity: Aging-in-Place . . . a care option that allows individuals to continue living independently in their own home without the need for a live-in caregiver.

TabSafe

Drug compliance is the most common issue for those living alone. For those with memory issues, pill-reminder services and gadgets can issue daily visual and audio alerts to take medication, dispense the correct pills at the right times, and can even send a confirmation message to a caregiver once the medication has been dispensed. If a dosage is missed, an alert is sent to the caregiver and appropriate action can be taken.  The  TabSafe is one such product; you may visit their website here.

Falling is the leading cause of injury and death among those ages 65 and older.[1] For those with a high fall risk, monitoring devices like eNeighbor use unobtrusive sensors to monitor a resident’s daily routine. If the resident were to fall and not be able to get up or reach the phone for help, the device would trigger a phone call to a list of contacts as well as a 24-hour call center.

HomMed Genesis

“Remote monitoring” is an in-home technology that measures vitals such as heart rate, body weight, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels–making it useful to patients with a variety of health concerns, from cardiovascular disease to diabetes.  Check out the HomMed Genesis.

These latest technological advancements are not necessarily cheap.  One of the goals we at the Farr Law Firm seek to accomplish through our Level 4 Planning is to protect assets from the disastrous expenses of long-term care, so that some of those assets can be used to enhance the standard of living with goods and services not covered by government financial assistance, such as the ones I’ve described.  Of course, if Aging-In-Place is not the ideal option for you, we can help you prepare for and decide on your other long-term care options.

If long-term care planning is a relatively new subject area for you or your family, I suggest you take a few moments to watch this segment from the National Business Series.

If you have been contemplating you or a loved-one’s long-term care options, we can provide the solutions that you may be looking for. Achieving long term peace of mind is an invaluable asset that we are honored to assist you with. Please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-399-FARR to schedule a free, initial consultation.

While it may be true that the Supreme Court is often tasked with the daunting assignment of deciding the most controversial and divisive of issues, last Tuesday’s unanimous ruling was a little different.

Most who are familiar with the facts of Henderson v. Shinseki would probably agree that the decision “felt right;” especially to the elder law attorneys and senior-serving professionals who help U.S. Veterans on a daily basis.

The Court reversed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals that ruled Veterans Court judges could not extend the deadline to appeal, even when a Veteran’s mental illness procured the delay.

Justice Samuel Alito explained the Courts’ rationale in reversing the decision of the Court of Appeals;

The (Dep’t of Veterans Affairs) is charged with the responsibility of assisting veterans in developing evidence that supports their claims, and in evaluating that evidence, the VA must give the veteran the benefit of any doubt. … Rigid jurisdictional treatment of the 120-day period for filing a notice of appeal in the Veterans Court would clash sharply with this scheme.

For an interesting look at how the case developed in the headlines over the course of the past several months, read the first Washington Post article I referenced late last year, Court hears appeal from veteran who missed deadline, here.  Then, read Supreme Court eases benefit deadline for vets, the recent article from USA Today, available here.  The latter link also includes a photo of the late Mr. Henderson.

Last year I called attention to Henderson on my National Elder Law News Blog, in the article, Veteran Misses Filing Deadline Due to Mental Illness: Fair? a case about a Veteran with Schizophrenia, whose illness prevented him from meeting a deadline imposed by the government.

Mr. Henderson’s lawyer argued in front of the Court that his client’s disability – which developed as a result of years in the service – prevented him (Mr. Henderson) from meeting a deadline to appeal the government’s denial of his request for home care by the Veteran’s Administration.  The argument was that it would be an injustice to strictly enforce the deadline against Mr. Henderson.

Veterans’ disability compensation is paid to Veterans who are injured as a result of their service to the country.  If denied a request for benefits, there are 120 days to file a notice of intent to appeal.  Mr. Henderson was denied home care by the Veteran’s Administration, after which he filed his notice of appeal 15 days late.

The case really boiled down to inquiries of fairness and Congressional intent.  Henderson argued that Congress intended for Veterans to be treated fairly, and that the 120-day time limit was meant to be flexible; a permeable deadline, should the interests of justice require an extension.

The loser in this case (The Secretary of Veterans Affairs) argued that the time period was meant to be strictly applied and that any change to the deadline must come from Congress itself and not from the discretion of the bench (a judge).

Various veterans groups followed this case from its inception.  With the traumatic stress and psychological scars evident in many soldiers who have returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, groups like the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates, the National Veterans Foundation, and Paralyzed Veterans of America are undoubtedly happy with how Henderson turned out.

For information on Aid & Attendance benefits, you can check out our Firm’s links to frequently asked questions below:

What Is the Amount of the Aid and Attendance Benefit?

Who Is Eligible for the Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit?

Is Aid and Attendance Only for Low Income Veterans?

How is the Aid and Attendance Benefit Calculated?

Filing a Claim

The Asset Test

Image Credits: Photograph uploaded by FreeDigitalPhotos.net Admin

Today’s  women are decision makers.  For some couples, the woman is THE decision maker, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  For example, in nearly 8 out of 10 cases where married couples purchase a vehicle, it is the woman who makes the final decision.  And because women outlive men by 5.4 years on average, women frequently make decisions that have long lasting effects upon their children, their spouse, and even their parents.

Today, I want to offer 3 tips to help open the lines of communication between parent and child when it comes to the difficult subject of long term care.

Tip 1: Explain that Elder Law Attorneys are Passionate About Their Clients – Elders!

Elder law attorneys have deliberately chosen a career in a specialized area of law to serve elders.  Moreover, Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct require lawyers to act in the best interests of their clients.  The client of an elder law attorney is the elder.  Not the child. 

Elder law attorneys are equipped to facilitate familial harmony; they place the client’s concerns at the forefront of any discussion, and they orchestrate a plan that can protect a nest egg from the catastrophic expenses of long term care and improve quality of life.  An inheritance is nice – and usually a much larger inheritance is a by-product of the plan devised by an excellent elder law attorney – but the first thing I explain to families I meet with is that the inheritance is not the focus.  My client’s quality and dignity of life is priority #1.

Tip 2: Gather Information with Parents in No-Pressure Environment

Parents love to do things with their kids, and adult children likewise value the time they have with their aging parents.  One easy way to spend time with your parents while gathering information is to attend a free seminar hosted by a local elder law attorney.  Don’t be afraid to research, communicate and explain important statistics to your parents.

Tip 3: Use Easy to Understand Statistics to Convey Your Message:

Did you know that if you are over age 65:

• you have a 7.2% chance of having an auto accident every year;
• a 6.15% chance of needing to file a homeowner’s insurance claim; and
• a 70% chance of needing long-term care?

Over half of those who need long-term care will require a nursing home.

Here is the statistic you must be concerned with:

• 13% of drivers are uninsured;
• 15% of homeowners are uninsured; but
• 90% of senior citizens are uninsured and unprotected against long term care needs.

This means;

1. 87% of people insure themselves against an event that has a 7.2% annual probability;
   

2. 85% of individuals protect themselves against an event with a 6.15% annual probability; but

3. Only 10% protect themselves from an event with a 90% probability!

Why is it important to plan for long term care?  Primarily because the expenses of long term care are catastrophic and can wipe out a nest-egg in less than a year.  50% of couples and 70% of singles are impoverished (broke) after one year of entering a nursing home.

Medicaid is a government program meant for those who plan for it.  I encourage you to attend a free seminar on the subject, as it is shocking that so many smart people do not realize that Medicaid – not Medicare – can be used to pay for long term care.

One common misconception is, “We don’t need to plan for our long term care yet, we’re only 65.”  Almost half of all long-term care claimants are under age 65 at the time of disability.  Every day that goes by without a plan, the family is risking possible delay or even forfeiture of government benefits that are meant to pay for catastrophic long term care costs.

Talking to your parents about their long term care options can be understandably difficult, and no other generation has had to simultaneously balance so many familial responsibilities at one time.  But there is a new breed of estate planning and elder law that takes a family-friendly, solution-based approach making it easier to discuss difficult subjects.

While it’s no secret that Alzheimer’s Disease can cause confusion in the estimated 5.1 million Americans directly affected by the disease, both researchers and the general public have spent years perplexed by the disease as well.  For a look at some of the most common misconceptions about Alzheimer’s Disease, see the Alzheimer’s Association‘s list of the top 8 Alzheimer Myths.

The Alzheimer’s Association, which calls Alzheimer’s Disease “the defining disease of the baby boomers,” points out that “too many of America’s baby boomers will spend their retirement years either with Alzheimer’s or caring for someone who has it.”  The Alzheimer’s Association also points out that although death rates for other major diseases — HIV, stroke, heart disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer — are declining, “Alzheimer’s is the only top 10 cause of death without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression.”

There is no question that Alzheimer’s Disease is a growing concern, especially as the number of America’s baby boomer and elders continues to rise.  But despite the disease’s prevalence, there are already two positive developments in 2011.  First, researchers seem excited about a new means to predict — and perhaps one day to diagnose — the disease with certainty in the living.  Second, an unlikely team of players  has unified on the front lines…from an NFL superstar to some of America’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

Three Recent Studies Suggest ‘Biomarkers’ Could Play Pivotal Role in Predicting Alzheimer’s Disease

What is a biomarker? AstraZeneca defines the term as:

“a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacological responses to a therapeutic intervention.”

In essence, a biomarker is an identifiable variable that can be measured in humans.   While this may sound like a very broad definition, the breadth of the concept is what makes it so promising.

A recent study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and reported by Senior Journal,  aimed to investigate a potential relationship between “plasma beta-amyloid 42 and 42/40 levels and cognitive decline in a large group of community-dwelling older adults without dementia.”

The study found that older individuals who do not suffer from dementia, but have lower levels of “blood plasma and biomarkers beta-amyloid 42/40 (protein fragments),” may be at an increased risk for experiencing cognitive decline later in life:

“[The use of] biomarkers to identify elderly persons at risk of developing dementia could be useful for early prevention, if and when such interventions are available, and treatment.”

In a different study, three specific proteins in cerebrospinal fluid were found to potentially “spot” Alzheimer’s disease.  That study appeared in The Archives of Neurology.  The BusinessWeek article on this study is available here.  Of note, the Senior Director of Medical and Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer’s Association had this to say:

“This just reinforces the recommendation by [Alzheimer's working groups] saying that biomarkers can actually be incorporated today into clinical practice in order to add a certain piece to the diagnosis if patients are already presenting with something that looks like Alzheimer’s.”

Still another study carried out by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and the Texas Alzheimer’s Research Consortium, reported by Ivanhoe Newswire, found that blood serum biomarkers PLUS other clinical information could be used to more accurately classify patients with Alzheimer’s.  Commenting on the importance of such studies, the authors say:

“There is clearly a need for reliable and valid diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease, and in recent years, there has been an explosive increase of effort aimed at identifying such markers.”

The Texas Tech study authors are optimistic:

“With the rapidly evolving technology and the analytic techniques available, Alzheimer’s disease researchers now have the tools to simultaneously analyze exponentially more information from a host of modalities, which is likely going to be necessary to understand this very complex disease.”

Pharmaceutical Companies are Uniting to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease

CNN reported recently on Big Pharmaceutical companies uniting to share data in an effort to better understand the disease:

Numerous Celebrities Help Raise Awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease

Dozens of national celebrities have been helping to raise awareness of the devastating toll that Alzheimer’s Disease takes on our society.   Here’s a “Behind the Scenes” look at some of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Celebrity Champions:

This CNN story (and the video below) highlights the emotional toll that Alzheimer’s disease has had on one such Celebrity — NFL star Terrell Owens.  Mr. Owens’ battle against the disease on behalf of his mother has touched hearts and inspired many:

Recognizing Early Symptoms is Important: Top 10 Signs

The Alzheimer’s Association provides 10 ways to spot early-onset symptoms here.  Summarized by MayoClinic, you will find them listed them below for your convenience:

Memory loss that disrupts daily life

Challenges in planning or solving problems

Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure

Confusion with time or place

Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

New problems with words in speaking or writing

Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

Decreased or poor judgment

Withdrawal from work or social activities

Changes in mood and personality

Have you Heard of Alzheimer’s Planning?

Many people are unaware that Alzheimer’s Planning is a sub-specialty of Elder Law.  It involves a unique and complex combination of estate planning, long-term care planning, asset protection, Medicaid planning, and nursing home planning, and requires a specialized knowledge of the legal and financial problems and issues that are unique to families dealing with this devastating illness.  We at the Farr Law Firm routinely assist clients with all of the financial and legal issues surrounding Alzheimer’s Disease.

One of the primary goals of Alzheimer’s Planning is to ensure the highest possible level of personal dignity and quality care for the remaining lifetime of the Alzheimer’s patient. To achieve this goal, it is often necessary to protect assets as quickly as possible, so that if the Alzheimer’s patient  must enter a nursing home, Medicaid can be obtained as soon as possible. Money that is protected through Alzheimer’s Planning can often be used to provide the Alzheimer’s patient with an enhanced level of care and a better quality of life while in the nursing home and receiving Medicaid benefits.

Conclusion

There is still a long way to go in predicting, diagnosing, and ultimately preventing Alzheimer’s disease.  But with help coming from all directions – the steady fight of the Alzheimer’s Association in leading the global fight for a world without Alzheimer’s, new research methods and tools, consolidated efforts from Pharmaceutical Companies, and the increased awareness created by dozens of celebrities who have been personally touched by this destructive disease — hopefully greater strides for combating this disease are in store in 2011 than ever before.

The Alzheimer’s Association, mentioned several times in this article, is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The Association’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.  If you have a question about Alzheimer’s disease, if you’re providing care for someone with memory loss, or if you’re experiencing memory loss yourself, the highly trained and knowledgeable staff of the Alzheimer’s Association can assist you at any time — just call their 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.

Lastly, don’t overlook the quality of life and dignity that can be preserved through Alzheimer’s Planning.  Until there is a cure or vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease, the focus for many families is on ensuring the quality of life and dignity of those suffering with this disease.  For more on Alzheimer’s Planning, please visit us at http://AlzheimersPlanning.com.