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YOUR LEGAL UPDATE
NOVEMBER 2014
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The Attorneys and Staff at Dutton & Casey wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving - a day for gratitude, for sharing, and for remembering the special people in our lives. 

MELISSA LAPOINTE, OUR NEWEST ATTORNEY

Welcome Melissa LaPointe.

Melissa, who joined our firm in January 2013 as a law clerk, graduated in May with a Juris Doctor and a certificate in elder law from John Marshall Law School. She was sworn-in as an attorney last week.

 

She will concentrate her practice in elder law, with a focus on long-term care planning, which includes Medicaid and VA planning, and litigation for vulnerable adults against abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

FAMILY CAREGIVER MONTH

 "There are only four kinds of people in the world - those who have been family caregivers, those who are  currently family caregivers, those who will be family caregivers and those who will need family caregivers", Rosalyn Carter.

 

Did you know that there are an estimated 90 million family caregivers in the US alone and many family members do not recognize that they are a caregiver because it is 'part of their role as a spouse, child, parent, nephew, etc.' 

 

The range of family caregiving is huge. Examples of being a family caregiver include making check-in telephone calls, taking your loved one to the doctor, shopping, scheduling appointments, picking up groceries, medications, helping with monthly paperwork, such as bill paying; being a Power of Attorney or Guardian, living with them (or them with you), monitoring care if your loved one lives in a formal care setting, and much more.

 

The bottom line, if you think at least once a day about an older family member, or a family member who is ill or has a disability, you are, in some way, a family caregiver.

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Information for Family Caregivers During the Holiday Season:

article on caregiving at the holidays for a loved one who has dementia 

article on long-distance caregiving at the holidays  

CARE NAVIGATION AND ADVOCACY

To further assist our clients, we offer Care Navigation and   Advocacy...a service that is designed to help with decision making and establish and maintain quality care.

 

Erin Vogt, a licensed clinical social worker and certified care manager, supports both our clients and attorneys by providing comprehensive assessments, family caregiver advocacy and education, and the resource information needed for the client and family to understand and make decisions. Erin Vogt 

 

Erin meets with clients and their loved ones, where they are, whether that is at their personal home, assisted/supportive living, long-term care facility, home of a loved one, or the  hospital.

 

click here to learn more about Erin's role

REMEMBER - MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT  

Until December 7, Medicare  beneficiaries can enroll in a Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan or change plans. In addition, you can switch out of a Medicare Advantage (managed care) plan and return to traditional Medicare (Parts A and B), enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan from traditional Medicare, or change Medicare Advantage plans.

 

Review your  current plan by looking at the costs and coverage for next year to determine if it is still the right plan. It is especially important to review Medicare Advantage plans. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare is supposed to cut $156 billion in payments to these plans by 2022 (although these cuts have been delayed for a second year in a row). This has caused concerns that Medicare Advantage plans will raise premiums and reduce their network of providers. If you have a plan, contact your provider(s) to ensure they still participate. 

 

And, remember that fraud perpetrators will use this time to try to gain access to individuals' personal financial information. Never give personal information to anyone making unsolicited phone calls or coming to your home without an appointment.

  

To read the Illinois Senior Medicare Patrol's article on Openmedicare fraud patrol  Enrollment, insurance marketing fraud, and how to ask the right questions of insurance agents, click here.  

 

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 Resources 

  

-Official U.S. Government Website for Medicare

 

-Illinois Department on Aging Senior Health Insurance Program  (health insurance counseling service for Medicare  beneficiaries and their caregivers

  

"Medicare & You" booklet is online. The handbook is updated regularly, so it will always reflect the most up-to-date information.

LET FIRST RESPONDERS KNOW YOU ARE THERE

Illinois Premise Alert Program Act (PAP) is a safety program that supports older adults, individuals living with serious medical illnesses and/or disabilities, as well as police and paramedics responding to calls at a specific address. The program requires 911 call centers to maintain a database of information about individuals with special needs when requested by families, caregivers, or the individuals themselves. The PAP assists local police departments in identifying individuals who have special needs, which allows  responding police officers and paramedics to have additional information at their disposal in the event of an emergency.
 
For more information on the Premise Alert Program, call the non-emergency police department phone number in the city where you live.
QUICK LINKS

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EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

We have many programs already scheduled for 2015. 

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Serving Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties in Illinois.

Office Hours in Arlington Heights, Chicago,
Skokie, and Westchester, Illinois.