•   Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar
•   Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services
•   Department of Elder Affairs
•   Social Security Administration
•   American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
•   The Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys
•   National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
•   Children of Aging Parents
•   Florida State Guardianship Association
•   Broward County Guardianship Association
•   The Miami-Dade County Guardianship Association
•   The Palm Beach County Guardianship Association
•   The Florida Council on Aging
•   Aging Parents and Elder Care
•   Florida Medicaid Managed Care
•   National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
•   Alliance for Aging, Inc.
•   Partnership for Caring
•   National Council on Aging
•   Care Giver Alliance
•   Care Giver National Alliance
•   Geriatric Care Managers
•   Funeral Consumers Alliance
•   Health Care Administration
•   Medicare
•   US Department of Health and Human Services
•   Accreditation of Health Care Organizations
•   APA Eldercare
•   Eldercare Online

•   Sun Sentinel
•   Miami Herald
•   Medicare
•   Internal Revenue Service
•   The Florida Bar
•   Alzheimer's Association
•   American Bar Association
•   American Cancer Society
•   America Diabetes Association
•   American Federation for Aging Research
•   American Society on Aging
•   American Geriatric Society Foundation For Health in Aging
•   American Heart Association
•   American Lung Association
•   Department of Veterans Affairs
•   Administration of Medicine
•   Third Age

Medicare, the nation's largest health insurance program, is nationally managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare is a government sponsored program that helps pay for medical care. Medicare provides health insurance for those age 65 and older or, if younger, those entitled to Social Security disability benefits.

Generally, persons age 65 or older, and those with certain disabilities or diseases are eligible for Medicare Parts A and B. Anyone eligible for Parts A and B is eligible for Parts C and D.

Planning for long-term living arrangements for elderly individuals is becoming increasingly important in our society. The best time to plan for the possibility of nursing home care is when you're still healthy. By doing so, you may be able to pay for your long-term care and preserve assets for your loved ones?

We can help contact professionals in the industry who can help you locate a facility. We also can direct you to these professionals who are devoted to helping seniors and family members of seniors. Finally, we have experience working with certain nursing homes, and we have contacts to help with the process of finding and entering a nursing home for you or your loved one.

If your parents are like many older folks, where they will live will depend on how healthy they are. As your parents grow older, their health may deteriorate so much that they can no longer live on their own. At this point, you may need to find them in-home health care or health care within a retirement community or nursing home. Another option is that you may insist they come live with you.

A Guardianship is a crucial legal tool that allows one person or entity to make decisions for another (the ward). If the court declares an individual legally incapacitated, some or all of his/her legal rights can be removed. This incapacitated individual then becomes a Ward and the person who is appointed to care for the incapacitated individual and their property is called a guardian. The guardian of both the incapacitated person and their property may not necessarily be the same individual. The court may appoint an individual as the guardian of the incapacitated person, and/or the guardian of the incapacitated person's property. Guardianship proceedings are supervised by the court and can be costly and time consuming. Generally guardianship proceedings are avoided if you have an effective durable power of attorney and/or medical directives in place.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state funded program which provides medical insurance for qualifying low-income individuals including those who are aged, blind, or disabled. Medicaid is funded by both the federal and state governments. On average, states pay about half the cost of Medicaid, although the percentage varies from state to state. No state program can be more restrictive than the federal law.

Long term care insurance is designed to cover the cost of long-term care if you need it in the future. Caring for your aging parents is something you hope you can handle when the time comes, but it's the last thing you want to think about. There are various living arrangements that can be utilized to deliver Long-term care as you loved ones health deteriorates. You can deliver Long-term care at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home, depending on the level of care needed.

An additional option may be a continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) which provide, independent-living dwellings, as well as assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities. Depending on your required level of care, younger residents may not initially need much care, while older residents may require round the clock care.

Basically, there are four ways to pay for long-term care: (1) Private Pay, (2) Medicare, which only covers short-term rehabilitation for skilled nursing care, (3) Long-term care insurance, (4) Medicaid, which is the only government program that pays for long-term care.

No. This is one of the most common misconception of seniors. Medicare covers short-term rehabilitation but does not cover custodial care at home or in a nursing home. If you need help with activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, toileting, or transferring in and out of bed, these are considered custodial needs and are not covered by Medicare.

Yes. If you want to stay in your home, you have options that may be less expensive and stressful than a nursing home. You could obtain a reverse mortgage on your home, long-term care insurance or support through federal or state funding sources. Additionally, a family member, friend or paid caretaker may be able to help you with your personal care. If you want to stay in your home, you should seek professional advice in order to plan accordingly and get the help you need.