| Dear Friends, Family, & Clients,
We always encourage our clients to think about the possibility of long term care and its costs. The increase in the number of elderly citizens in our population has focused more attention on the particular legal and financial planning needs of older adults. Many people live long, healthy lives as a result of continued medical advances and increasingly healthier lifestyles. But all people face the possibility that some of those advanced years may involve mental or physical incapacity and/or the high costs of long term care. We encourage you to talk to your family about your particular needs and concerns. We also encourage you to emphasize this planning with your friends, clients, and colleagues.
Severns & Stinson would also
like to introduce Anna Howard as a
new associate attorney. Ms. Howard was admitted to the Indiana State Bar in
October 2009. She received her law degree from Barry University in Orlando in 2009. In addition, she received her
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Political
Science, from Indiana University Bloomington in 2000. Anna is a member of the
American Bar Association, Indiana Bar Association, and the Indianapolis Bar
Association. Anna grew up in Kokomo, Indiana and
has now relocated to Indianapolis. Anna has been married for 10
years to her husband Scott
Howard and has a 10 year old son, Scotty
We always appreciate referrals from our satisfied clients, friends, business
partners, and family members. We welcome the opportunity to serve the people you
care about. Click on the gray Forward Email at the bottom of the page to send
this newsletter to someone who will benefit from our insights.
Sincerely,
Severns & Stinson--Pathfinders in Elder Law |
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Elder Law News from Severns & Stinson
June 2010
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Severns & Stinson. P.C.
10293 N. Meridian Street
Suite 150
Indianapolis, Indiana 46290
(317) 817-0300
(317) 817-0302 Fax
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Attorney Spotlight
Jeffery Stinson attended the 37TH ANNUAL MIDWEST ESTATE, TAX
& BUSINESS PLANNING INSTITUTE.
The Institute included topics on Estate Planning for Farmers, Tax Planning for Real Estate
Transactions in the Current Economy, Roth IRAs, Covering Health Care Costs in Retirement, Hot Topics in Charitable Giving, and other important tips on estate planning.
The attorneys at Severns & Stinson are available to make free, educational presentations regarding long term care planning and other issues relevant to seniors and their families. If you are interested in scheduling a presentation, please contact us at (317) 817-0300.
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If
you answer yes to any of these questions, Severns & Stinson can
help.
-Has a family member been diagnosed with a mentally
or physically debilitating disorder such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS,
stroke or a decline in functional capacity?
-Is a family member isolated due to the recent death
of a spouse, or have family that either lives too far away or is too busy to
provide adequate care?
-Is a family member soon to be discharged into a care
facility or currently receiving in-home care?
-Does a family member have a variety of healthcare
providers and need coordination and advocacy for quality care?
-Does a family member seem unusually concerned about
costs of medication and services, indicating he or she may be having financial
troubles?
-Does a family member have assets that fall between
$50,000 and $400,000 - enough to finance a short stay in a care facility but not
enough for an extended stay?
-Does a family member have a spouse whose financial
needs must be considered in light of a family member's medical condition?
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$250 Medicare checks coming
 The government began mailing $250 checks this month to seniors who fall into
the gap in Medicare's prescription drug coverage. Read on |
Make Sure Your Life Insurance is Not Taxed at Your Death
 Although your life insurance
policy may pass to your heirs income tax-free, it can affect your estate tax. If
you are the owner of the insurance policy, it will become a part of your taxable
estate when you die. You should make sure your policy won't have an impact on
your estate's tax liability. Read on |
Investigative Report Questions Five-Star Rating System for Nursing Homes
How reliable are the ratings
given nursing homes under the five-star rating system that the federal
government recently instituted? Not very, according to an investigative report
by a Massachusetts magazine. Read on |
How Risky Is Buying a Limited-Duration Long-Term Care Insurance
Policy?
More consumers are buying
shorter-duration policies as a way to keep the cost of long-term care insurance
affordable. For example, in 2009 almost one-third of individual buyers purchased
a three-year benefit period policy, according to an industry trade group. But is
that sufficient coverage or is the policyholder likely to run out of benefit
dollars? Read on |
Getting Social Security While Living Overseas
 Retirees who decide to move to
another country are still entitled to Social Security benefits. Once a retiree
has been outside the country for 30 days in a row, he or she is considered
outside the United States and the rules for collecting benefits apply. Read on
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Recognizing Symptoms of Dementia
The Brown family reunion has always been an event
everyone looks forward to. Family visits, games, stories and everyone's
favorite foods are always on the agenda. On the top of the menu is
Grandmas Lemon Coconut Cake. Grandma always makes the traditional cake
from her old family recipe. This year, however, the cake tasted a little
on the salty side, perhaps a half cup full of salty. Though the family was disappointed over the
cake, of more concern was Grandma's confusion with the recipe and her
similar confusion about the loved ones around her. Could something be
wrong with grandma's mental state? Read on |
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| About Our Law Firm
Severns & Stinson, P.C. is a law firm focused on the needs of families confronting issues with health care. We have a special emphasis on long term care issues -- an emphasis that has come to be known as "elder law." Our firm consists of five attorneys and two paraprofessionals.
Our services include the following:
- Asset Protection & Long Term Care Planning
- Medicaid Planning, Applications and Appeals
- Medicare Consultation and Advocacy
- Estate Planning
- "Making It Last"™ - Supplemental Needs Trusts and Asset Protection for Persons with Disabilities
- Response Team Building - Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Declarations and Other Advance Directives
- Guardianships and Probate Administration
- Patients Rights and Care Advocacy.
Severns & Stinson. P.C.
10293 N. Meridian Street, Suite 150
Indianapolis, Indiana 46290
317.817-0300
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