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As senior citizens age, they and their families often struggle with how to select the best options of long-term care and how to pay for it.
A recent, free Elder Law Forum, “Long-Term Care: What Senior Citizens and the Elder Care Community Should Know,” organized by the Wealth Planning Law Group was held in Metairie. The group coordinated presentations and forums on estate planning, how aging affects the entire family, long-term care insurance, the use of trusts in elder care, long-term care options, long-term care benefits funded by Medicaid and the implication of recent Medicaid budget costs and laws even the quality of elder health care in Louisiana.
Chantell Harmon, director of enrollment and member services at PACE Greater New Orleans, spoke about the implications of managed long-term care for consumers. PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Greater New Orleans is an affiliate ministry of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans and provides a comprehensive package of health services at the Shirley Landry Benson PACE adult day center at the former St. Cecilia Church in Bywater, which aims at keeping seniors at home.
Harmon gave background on the qualifications for Medicaid and Medicare and led an afternoon break-out session on qualifying for Medicaid and its alternatives.
Confusing regulations
There are many people, Harmon said, who have aging parents or loved ones who “don’t understand how to go about receiving services.”
“They sign up for the Medicare Advantage program and it’s not spelled out for them,” she said. “I think the forum was very beneficial to clarify options. People have no idea about Medicaid – what they qualify for, what their benefits are and generally how do they increase their continuity of care. A lot of people pay privately for a lot of stuff that could be paid for under Medicaid or Medicare.”
Harmon said questions were fielded concerning home care. Panelists presented a roadmap on that, and Harmon said she also detailed the benefits of PACE and its place in long-term care in the future.
Other speakers included Todd Villarubia, a board-certified estate planner, L.L.M. taxation, Wealth Planning Law Group; Ronald “Chip” Morrison Jr., elder law attorney and board certified estate planner, Wealth Planning Law Group; Elizabeth Ary, vice president, trust officer with private wealth management, JP Morgan; Norman Davis, CEO, and Lisa Vassallo-Sigsworth, RN, director of Family Hospice at AmeraCare; Ann Marie LeBlanc, partner, Caraway LeBlanc, LLC, speaking on LaPOST; Barbara Alafat, executive director, Corey Leftwich, director of community operations and Suzanne Bradley, director of Memory Care at Vista Shores Assisted Living; Kim Keel and Mullady Voelker, directors of private duty and private care, respectively, Gifted Nurses; Bea Nugent, Ph.D., CLTC, long-term care specialist with Hancock Brokerage; Robert Vandy, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CLTC, vice president of marketing, New York and National Long-Term Care Brokers, LTD.
Jamie Gonzales, director of client services at Wealth Planning Law Group, said the law firm is a member of Elder Counsel, a group that has coordinated elder forums for 18 years.
The forum gave an overview of many aspects of elder care by professionals who work in the field offering their expertise. Jefferson Council on Aging, Northwestern Mutual of Louisiana and IntRx HealthCare were exhibitors.
“We brought up questions that everybody wants to ask but won’t so seniors could learn from it,” Gonzales said. “It really was an open forum.” We did it because we wanted to help the senior citizen in knowing more.”
Gonzales said the forum was helpful to the elder community and health care industry.
“It informed senior citizens of health care that is available to them, resources that they can readily utilize, applicable rights and planning knowledge that will assist them and their families through years to come,” Gonzales said.
Another day planned
The Wealth Planning Law Group will conduct an Elder Care Planning Day May 29 at Beau Chene Country Club in Mandeville. For details, call 212-4426.
Christine Bordelon can be reached at [email protected].
Tags: Elder Law Forum, Elder Outlook, estate planner, PACE