Monthly Archives: February 2011
Giving Alzheimer’s Patients Whatever They Want, Even Chocolate
In a lengthy but fascinating article recently, the New York Times reported on innovative treatment techniques for people who have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. I highly recommend reading the article if you are involved with anyone suffering from … Continue reading
Featured Link — Dealing With Alzheimer’s Blog
As a companion to yesterday’s Featured Link, Dealing With Alzheimer’s is a blog written by Kris Bakowski, a woman who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Here is the description from the site: I was diagnosed with Early On … Continue reading
Featured Link — Mothering Mother and More
Mothering Mother and More is a very good blog, by Carol O’Dell, about taking care of a parent with dementia. Here is the tag line: When the roles reverse and you begin parenting your parent. For the sandwich generation and all … Continue reading
“Unusual” Groups Eligible for VA Pension Benefits
One reason for hiring a VA-accredited lawyer to assist with the planning necessary to obtain VA pension benefits is that the lawyer should realize there are specialized eligibility groups beyond the broad category of active-duty military. For example, this is … Continue reading
Will Payroll Tax Cut Affect Social Security Payments?
The short answer to that question is no. Here is a more complete explanation from the National Organization of Social Security Claimants representatives: The tax bill signed into law in December 2010, the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Reauthorization and Job Creation Act … Continue reading
Medicaid Flaw Costs Taxpayers Millions of Dollars
There is a basic flaw in the Medicaid long-term-care benefits program — it is set up to pay for care at nursing homes, when it would normally be far cheaper and more desirable to pay for similar services at an … Continue reading
Alternate Sources of Military Service Data
This press release is from the Department of Veterans Affairs: Alternate Record Sources Alternate Sources of Military Service Data. When proof of military service is needed, NPRC (MPR) attempts to reconstruct certain basic service data from alternate sources. NPRC (MPR) … Continue reading
VA & HUD Issue Report on Homeless Veterans
This press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs highlights a truly sad fact: On any given night in 2009, almost 76,000 veterans were homeless. WASHINGTON – For the first time, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department … Continue reading
Over 200 Patient Deaths Linked to “Alarm Fatigue”
In a front-page story, the Boston Globe reported, “With the use of monitors rising, their beeps can become so relentless, and false alarms so numerous, that nurses become desensitized — sometimes leaving patients to die without anyone rushing to their … Continue reading
President Obama’s Budget Proposal Includes Two-Year Medicare “Doc Fix”
Print media provided extensive coverage of the President’s budget proposal this week. The tone was mixed, with sources such as the AP saying that while the proposal tackles some issues, it does not provide a “cure” for the country’s fiscal … Continue reading