Aid is Available for Veterans and Their
  Surviving Spouses to Help Pay for
  Long-term Care

As recently as 2012, Gallup estimates that about 13% of adults, including 24% of men and 2% of women, have served in the United States Armed Forces.  For their service to our country, veterans are entitled to a variety of benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Administration (VA). 
 
The fact is that many of our veterans and their spouses are aging or have a disability.  Often, they require assistance with meeting their everyday personal care needs.  Paying for this care can be very expensive.  Assisted living facilities in Northeast Ohio typically cost between $4,500 to $6,000 or more per month.  For veterans and their surviving spouses, there may be help available.  An important, but often overlooked, VA benefit is Aid & Attendance.

Put simply, Aid & Attendance provides compensation...

  


While most credit cerebral palsy to a lack of oxygen at birth, recent whole-exome sequencing genetic testing of 183 people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) has revealed that as many as 14% of cerebral palsy cases may be caused by genetic mutations.  Similarly, genetic mutations were found in 15.8% of the 258 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses who were tested in a separate study involving two distinct genetic tests.

How does this information help people with disabilities? 



Save the Date: 
2015 Trustee School
Saturday, November 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Penton Media Building First Floor Conference Center
1300 E. 9th Street, Cleveland

Trustee School is a complimentary educational session that covers the nuts  and bolts of special needs trust administration,  including:
  • Trustee responsibilities
  • Government benefits basics and how trust administration can impact those benefits
  • Taxation and reporting requirements
  • Using care managers to ensure quality of life 
Participants will also receive a  complimentary copy of
Administering a Special Needs Trust: A Handbook for Trustees (2015 Edition).

Registration opens on October 1, 2015.  Participants may register on or after this date by:


Volume 5, Issue 3

  
  
News

Please welcome Attorney John Harrison!  John joins Hickman & Lowder with a strong background in Litigation, Elder Law, and Special Needs Planning, making him a perfect fit for the clients we serve .
    
Attorney Janet Lowder has been named 2016 Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year" for Elder Law in Cleveland. In addition, she was named in the areas of Elder Law, Litigation-Trusts & Estates, and Trusts & Estates. 

Attorney Franklin Hickman was also named among the 2016 Best Lawyers in the area of Education Law. 

Attorney Janet Lowder is the recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell Client Distinction Award for her communications ability, responsiveness, and quality of service.

 
  
Upcoming Events

Changing Roles: Navigating the Course for Elderly Parents 
September 26, 2015
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Cleveland Clinic Beachwood Family Health Center
26900 Cedar Road, Beachwood

Attorney David Banas will speak at this complimentary session focusing on legal issues, long-term care, and chronic illness.  Registration required.

  Click here for details.



Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act
October 7, 2015
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County
2012 W. 25th Street, Cleveland

The ABLE Act will allow people with disabilities (with an age of onset up to 26 years old) and their families the opportunity to create a tax-exempt savings account that can be used for maintaining health, independence and quality of life.  Join Attorney David Banas at this complimentary session sponsored by NAMI Greater Cleveland. Registration required.

Click here for details. 



Long-term Care Workshop
October 15, 2015
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. or
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Penton Media Building First Floor Conference Center
1300 E. 9th Street, Cleveland

Attorney David Banas and representatives from AXA Advisors, LLC, and Genworth Financial will host this complimentary session that is open to the public.  Topics include: 
  • Options for funding long-term care
  • Medicaid myths exposed
  • Using long-term care insurance policies as a planning tool to protect assets 
Registration required.  Please call
216-861-0360 to register or for more information.

 
Turning Your Obstacles into Opportunities