Life In Sherman Oaks

Title XX of the Social Security Act compels states to fund protective services for adults. Adult protective Services (APS) were created to protect nursing home residents from abuse, neglect and exploitation by facility staff members or other individuals. Title XX also lead to Congress directing all states to establish a Long-Term Care Ombudsman program in 1978. The Long-Term Care program provides individuals in nursing or care facilities with protection against [...]

New legislation gives the Food and Drug Administration the power to recall tainted food, quarantine geographical areas and access food producers’ records to ensure food safety. Each year 100,000 people get ill from contaminated food each year. Remember lettuce and hamburger recalls? But the extreme right wing objects to protecting our food. Why? Cost. The extreme right wing objects to the $1.4 billion cost over the first five years — [...]

Discretionary spending in FY 2010 was $1.39 trillion, or 38% of total spending. More than half ($844 billion) was security spending, which includes the Department of Defense, overseas contingency programs and Homeland Security. Non-security spending was $553 billion. The largest departments were: Health and Human Services ($84 billion), Transportation ($76 billion), Education ($46.8 billion), Housing and Urban Development ($43.6 billion) and Agriculture ($25 billion). (Source: OMB, Table S-11)

New Medicare Benefits Beginning January 1, 2011 • Medicare covers a one-time preventive physical exam within the first twelve months of having Part B. The exam will include a thorough review of health, education and counseling about the preventive services covered by Medicare and referrals for other care if needed. No Part B deductible and effective January 1, 2011 you pay nothing if the doctor accepts assignment. • Abdominal Aortic [...]

UPDATE: New blood will replace evasive cancer biopsy Posted by Staff on January 4, 2011 – EFN Update The invasive biopsy method to test cancer may be replaced by a simple blood test to detect the disease in the future. A new cancer testing device is undergoing tests in Boston that doctors hope will allow them to find cancers earlier and provide more individualized treatment. The test involves running the [...]

Are you a caregiver for a older family member? If so, you’re not alone. 25% of all working people are also caregivers for an aging parent. The book below offers so great tips for coping with being a caregiver. Give yourself a break and buy it today.

Beware of any of the claims following when you discuss the creation of a trust.: – The following promise is a False Claim – “I can establish a trust that will reduce or eliminate your income taxes or your self-employment taxes.” o The Truth – The transfer of assets to a trust will give the donor no additional tax benefit. Taxes must be paid on the income or assets held [...]

As a result of the Patient Affordability Act, there are a number of things that are changing in Medicare Part D in 2011. (1) You will receive a 50% manufacturers discount on brand prescription drug. (2) The coverage cap will begin its phase out. the phase out will be complete by 2020. CLICK HERE TO COMPARE PLANS Of course, is the #GOP repeals this law, all of these benefits will [...]

There are two methods by which a government can reduce its deficit. One is by cutting programs designed to move the country forward; the other is by raising taxes. Today, the super wealthy pay an effective tax rate of 17%. During the Eisenhower era, they paid 90%. Under John Boehner, new House of Representatives rules state that program cutting will be the order of the day: All bills that increase [...]

This book may be good for you.

Is the U.S. House of Representatives under John Boehner, getting ready to violate the Constitution? The United States Constitution contains the concept of Separation of Powers through the checks and balances system. The term separation of powers originated with the Baron de Montesquieu, a French enlightenment writer. However, the actual separation of powers amongst different branches of government can be traced to ancient Greece. The framers of the U.S. Constitution [...]

Since the time of its creation, the interpretation of the Constitution has been an issue. And the tea party is heading to Washington with one interpretation of the Constitution in mind: the literalist interpretation. They have said that they want every law submitted to the house to have attached to it, its Constitutional justification. This is gong to be interesting. Why? Because even our founding fathers saw the constitution differently. [...]

If a nursing home is seeking to evict you or your family member in Indiana, the facility must: –Provide you, your legal representative, your family and the local ombudsman with a discharge notice that gives the reason for the eviction; the name of another viable facility or program that can continue to care for you after your discharge; contact information for the local ombudsman; and an explanation of your right [...]

U.S. National Debt History 09/30/2010 13,561,623,030,891.79 09/30/2009 11,909,829,003,511.75 Obama 09/30/2008 10,024,724,896,912.49 09/30/2007 9,007,653,372,262.48 09/30/2006 8,506,973,899,215.23 09/30/2005 7,932,709,661,723.50 09/30/2004 7,379,052,696,330.32 09/30/2003 6,783,231,062,743.62 09/30/2002 6,228,235,965,597.16 09/30/2001 5,807,463,412,200.06 09/30/2000 5,674,178,209,886.86 Bush

Are you 55 or older? You have a 50% chance of needing Long Term Care/Nursing Home Care one Day. The cost today averages $250 a day and contrary to popular misconception, MEDICARE DOES NOT PAY FOR LONG TERM CARE. And if you need Long Term Care, your average stay will be 2.4 years. Do the math. This book “Long Term Care: How to Plan and Pay For It” is a [...]

What is an “End of Life” discussion? Why do you need one? What do you talk about? Talking about dying is never easy. I know because I’ve been through it with both of my parents. None of us want to talk about it. But dying is something that will happen to all of us sooner or later. The question is not: Will we die? The question is: How do we [...]

A lot of noise was made during the summer of 2009 about something called “death panels” in the Health Care Bill, actually called the Patient Protection and Affordability Act of 2010. And as a result, polls show that nearly 1/3 of all persons over the age of 65 mistakenly believe there are death panels in the law. So are there actually death panels in the bill? No. There aren’t. No [...]

According to the October 2010 FACT SHEET FROM KAISER, the health care reform law gradually lowers out-of-pocket costs in the coverage gap of Part D Medicare. Beginning in 2011, seniors who reach the gap will receive a 50% manufacturers discount on the total cost of brand name drugs. Beginning in 2011, additional subsidies for generic drugs and beginning in 2013, additional subsidies for brand name drugs, will be phased in [...]

While the nation was discussion health care reform legislation, and even after it was passed, a number of folks thought the legislation included death panel’s and health care rationing, particularly for seniors. In fact, 1/3 of all seniors mistakenly thought so. I wondered why. So I read an article written by Sarah Palin and then researched the basis of her assertions. For those of you who care, here are the [...]

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