This morning, I responded to a question posed by a family member on the Q&A Forum on A Place Form Mom.com

As you know, I am one of their featured experts and contributors, and as with our efforts across all of our partner websites, our mandate is always to educate and empower!

The question posed, is as follows:

How can I take care of mom without compromising her dignity?

“In so many ways she is like a child, she needs help with almost everything. I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that the normal her is still insider her brain somewhere and I don’t want to humiliate that part of her.”

Here was my response to her on the forum:

“The Only Thing to Fear, is Fear Itself”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Truer words were never spoken.

Fear in all of its permutations and manifestations is debilitating to both the body and spirit. When such fear is acute, it is even more crushing.

However, one positive and often unintended consequence is when it provides the impetus for personal introspection and growth.

I meet with plenty of families who are fearful. In fact, almost every family experiences some level of trepidation before placing a loved one in a nursing home.

They fear the unknown and they fear the fear itself!

This is completely normal.

Know that your Mom is still there and you are still the daughter who loves her to pieces. You cannot humiliate your Mom, but to simply love her unconditionally, while realizing that she is compromised and that it is not her fault or yours.

Love conquers all!

Godspeed!

——–

Friends,

How would you have responded?

A testimonial like this one (published today on Google), rewards our incredible efforts and dedication!

We are touched!

Take a look at the snapshot below:

Those who read my articles and blog know how proud I am of our organization and the respect we command (rightfully so) in the Healthcare community and beyond.

Our Founder and President, Mr. David Gross, is an industry visionary and trailblazer for over 25 years.

He has been invited by elected officials, members of both Houses of Congress and The United States President himself, to attend critical conferences and symposiums in order to share his valuable insight and input regarding Healthcare initiatives and reforms.

I recently blogged here about an event hosted by President Obama at the White House, with Mr. Gross in attendance (he received a personal invitation from the President).

Mr. Gross doesn't talk much about these exceptional occasions, nor does he highlight  his distinctions, recognitions and accomplishments.

So I will!

Just a few weeks ago, noted NJ Congressman, Rep. Bill Pascrelll (Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health and Committee on The Budget) personally invited Mr. Gross to participate in (and to address) a special Healthcare Advisory Meeting regarding The Afforable Care Act and other pressing Healthcare related issues.

I got my hands on the letter.

See below.

So am I proud?

Yes, extremely.

Income trusts are created for the specific and expressed purpose of helping the individual qualify for Medicaid under his/her specific State mandated criteria.

This trust is especially helpful and, indeed, vital in states that have a set income limit for qualifying for Medicaid. Sometimes referred to as Qualifying Income Trusts, or “Miller Trusts” (based upon a singular court case with the same name), they are used when a Medicaid applicant has income in excess of the required cap and is therefore not eligible for Medicaid, yet concurrently unable to pay privately for nursing home care.

How the Income Trust Works

With an income trust, a significant portion of the money that comes through the trust goes right back out to pay Medicaid for part of the expenses associated with the plan of care.

It bears mentioning that a qualified income trust doesn’t protect income for the Medicare applicant, however without such an income trust the applicant wouldn’t qualify for Medicaid altogether.

For example, if a Medicaid applicant gets a Social Security check for $2,800 but the income cap is $2,100, the applicant wouldn’t qualify for Medicaid. But if the Social Security check is direct-deposited into an income trust, the applicant will qualify for Medicaid, even though much of the $2,800 will be used to pay the applicant’s portion of cost for long-term care.

It is also important to note that Medicaid includes and incorporates gross income into their eligibility criteria, which includes the Medicare Part B premium (typically deducted from the individual’s Social Security checks.)