Free Caregiver Resource eBook: 8/26/12 Only!

Very important for those who are caregivers or know they will be one day soon.

 On 8/26/12 from 12 AM to 11:59 PM, my “Taking Care of Mom and Dad” eBook will be free on Amazon.com!

You don’t need a Kindle to get it – a PC, Android, or any number of eReaders will do just fine. Amazon has a free download for you to use. Download the reader and then download the eBook!

This book is regularly $6.99. If you have a need or know any followers that need help with caregiving, please share/tweet/google+ or do whatever you need to. I am happy to give this away for one day.

In order to get the eBook, click on the icon to the right or right here: http://amzn.to/KxtD7B 

New eBook for Caregivers

I am very excited to announce that my newest eBook has been released on Amazon in the Kindle Bookstore. The title is: Taking Care of Mom and Dad: A Baby Boomer’s Resource Guide. I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally have this completed. I worked for a very long time to put together all the information. I used all 20 years working with Seniors in putting together a comprehensive handbook for caregivers thrust into service, not knowing the first thing to do or first place to look for help. This is particularly helpful if you are caregiving from afar.

This is not a book that tells you how to deal with emotional issues, it is a book that is practical and comprehensive explaining different federal programs and how they work with a state. I show you the correct agency to contact through phone, address, or email who can give you state-specific information. While most of this CAN be found, you must be well-versed in Aging Service vernacular and acronyms which often change from state to state and program to program. It also clearly explains requirements in most elder-driven social programs as well as components that each state is required to offer.

If you have the correct reader, all sites (including the table of contents ) are clickable – they have been checked and re-checked to assure no dead links. You do not have to have a Kindle in order to read the eBook – I do not have one – you can download the Amazon reader for personal computers, blackberry, android, iPads, iPhone, MAC, and Windows phone 7.

Maybe you do not need this information, but if you know someone who does, please pass it along to them. The information presented in the eBook may be used by anyone in any of the states or territories within the U.S.

Will my Medicaid Transfer When I Move?

I often get calls from a family member inquiring about how to transfer their loved one’s Medicaid (or MediCal) from one state to another.  The federal government, in their infinite wisdom, decided to name the federal and the state health care programs nearly identical; Medicare and Medicaid respectively.  So the first order of business is to determine exactly which program the family member is talking about.

Medicare cards are all red, white, and blue.  They are connected to Social Security and a premium must be paid each month in order to maintain the benefit.  Medicare is a nationwide program funded solely through federal taxes.  Medicaid is a state and federal partnership that often, in the case of seniors, is used in conjunction with Medicare.  Medicaid cards are as many different color combos as there are states and territories.  Each state, in order to receive federal matching funds, must agree to offer certain specific core services but then there is a menu of other items the state may offer. There is no rhyme or reason as to what each state my offer.

Another difference in Medicaid state-to-state is that the income level may be different as well as resource requirements.  They also may differ in where you may apply with some being only at the local social services office while others have kiosks set up in various public areas for your convenience.  Yet another difference is that some states offer something called a Spend Down while others do not.  A Spend Down is the amount between the client’s income and the maximum amount allowable to receive the benefit.

When you or your senior loved one may be moving here are some points to remember:

1. You may not transfer Medicaid from one state to another.
2. You must actually have made the move and declare the new state your home prior to applying for Medicaid in your new state.
3. Don’t forget to close your Medicaid case in the state you moved from AFTER you have made the move.
4. Income and Resource limits may be higher or lower in the state you move to.
5. Some states offer a Spend Down while others do not.
6. Do not expect the same program in your new state and if it is or if it is better, you will have a pleasant surprise.
7. Look for my new eBook soon to be available exclusively through Amazon.  It goes into detail about adult Medicaid issues.  The title is “Taking Care of Mom and Dad”, the same as the site here is called.
8. If you have any questions, please comment on this post and ask away!