Laws and Programs for Older Kentuckians

Table of Contents

• Foreword and Full Table of Contents
• Introduction 1
• The Legal Profession 4
  • Where to Look for An Attorney 4
  • Attorney's Fees 8
  • Do's and Don't's in Using a Lawyer 11
  • Do You Really Need a Lawyer 12
• Public Benefits 15
  • Benefits Counseling Program 16
  • Social Security Benefits 16
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 20
  • Medicare 25
  • Medicare+Choice Program 29
  • Health Care Assistance Programs for Low Income Beneficiaries 33
  • Medicaid 36
  • Strategies for Medicaid Resource Planning 39
  • Black Lung Benefits 41
  • Veteran's Benefits 43
  • Railroad Retirement Benefits 45
  • Food Stamps 45
  • Other Food Programs 47
  • Home Energy Assistance 48
• Wills, Estates and Property 52
  • Advantages of a Will 53
  • What a Will Cannot Do 53
  • Requirements of a Valid Will 54
  • What Happens if There is no Will 55
  • Costs of Estate Administration 55
  • Letter of Last Instruction 56
  • Financial Management Records 57
  • Life Insurance 57
  • Retirement Planning: Pensions 59
  • Ownership of Property 60
  • Banking 62
  • The Power of Attorney 64
  • Taxation 64
  • Investments and Trusts 68
  • Alternatives to Probate 70
• Avoiding Guardianship: Managing Your Affairs Before and After Disability 72
  • A Note About "Legal Mental Capacity" and Competence 73
  • Guardianship and its Alternatives 74
  • Representative Payee 75
  • Representative Payee for a
  • Government Benefit Program 75
  • Power of Attorney 76
  • Durable Power of Attorney 77
  • Curatorship 78
  • Guardianship/Conservatorship 79
  • Other Alternatives and Advance Directives 82
• Consumer Protection 83
  • Sales Tactics 83
  • Bait and Switch 84
  • Pigeon Drop 84
  • Oral Estimates and Guarantees 85
  • "Have I Got a Deal for You" 85
  • Door-to-Door Sales 86
  • Home Improvement and Loan
  • Consolidation Scams 87
  • The Telephone: Telemarketers and Sweepstakes Offers 89
  • Stolen Identity and Credit Card Fraud Alert 92
  • "Earn Money at Home" Promises 94
  • Check Cashing Companies and
  • Car Title Loan Companies 94
  • Pre-Paid Funerals 96
  • Debt Collection 97
  • Insurance 98
  • Preventive Self-Help 99
  • When a Complaint Develops 100
• Housing 104
  • Landlord-Tenant Law 104
  • The Uniform Residential Landlord and
  • Tenant Act (URLTA) 105
  • Common Law 107
  • Fair Housing Law 109
  • Public Housing and Federally-Subsidized
  • Housing 111
  • Housing Choices 113
  • Reverse Mortgages 115
• Long Term Care: Assisted Living & Nursing Homes 118
  • Alternatives to a Nursing Home 121
  • Choosing a Long Term Care Home 122
  • Advice for Family Members Whose Loved
  • Ones are Nursing Home Patients 125
  • Financing the Cost 125
  • Residents' Rights 127
  • Grievances 129
  • Role of the Attorney 130
  • Other Resources and Information 131
• Health Care & Health Care Decision Making 133
  • Life and Death Decisions: The Living Will and Health Care Surrogate Designation 134
  • Treatment and the Refusal of Treatment 134
  • Revoking and Advance Directive 137
  • Decision Making Without an Advance Directive 137
  • Do Not Resuscitate Orders 139
  • A Healthy Life Style 139
  • Medicines Can Help or Hurt 140
  • Pharmaceutical Programs for the Needy 142
  • Home Health Care 143
  • Choosing a Home Health Care Provider 146
  • Personal Care Attendant Program 147
  • Basic Facts About Alzheimer's Disease 147
  • Hospice 149
  • Your Rights to Your Medical Records 150
  • Involuntary Hospital Commitment 150
  • Anatomical Gifts 151
• The Costs of Care 154
  • Shorter Hospital Stays: The "DRG" 154
  • Assignment of Medicare Resimbursement 156
  • Medical Insurance 157
  • Medigap Insurance 159
  • Nursing Home Insurance 162
• Elder Abuse 165
  • Adult Protective Services 166
  • Domestic Violence and Abuse Act 167
• Grandparent Care of Grandchildren: The Legal Landscape 170
  • The Constitutional Rights of Parents 171
  • Grandparent Visitation 171
  • Grandparental Custody Issues 175
• Age Discrimination 179
  • Employment 179
  • Extension of Credit 180
  • Driving a Car 182
• Resources for Seniors 183
  • Toll-Free Telephone Numbers for Seniors 184
  • Legal Information and Assistance 186
  • Kentucky Aging Programs: Area Agencies on Aging 191
  • Employment & Volunteer Programs for Seniors 194
  • General Information for Seniors 195
  • Government Agencies 197
  • Other State Government Service Providers 201
  • Other State Agencies 204
  • Other Services in Kentucky 205
  • Help in Maintaining Yourself at Home 206
  • Additional Web Sites for Seniors 208
  • Other Helpful Publications from the
  • Federal Government 209
  • Aging Centers and Programs in Colleges and Universities 210
  • Legislative References 211
  • A Selected Reading List 214