Comments on: On Elder Care & Filial Repsonsibility

By: Cynthia111

Cynthia111 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:50:37 +0000

Interesting blog. I've been looking at elder and senior care and keep coming across issues involving denture creams and neurological problems. It seems that some popular creams are involved and lawsuits are beginning to be filed. I found a site that is sponsored, I believe, by an attorney group, but that has some good health and legal information: http://www.denturecreamlawyer.com/ I hope this is of help to your readership.

By: EEllis

EEllis — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:14:39 +0000

The situations where different. How many children live with their parents until and after marriage? The middle class had “Family “businesses that were taken over by their children (smithy, farm, shop,ect) so when the child took it over of course they continued to support the parent. How many parents buy a business for their children anymore? That and the fact that the saving of a lifetime can be wiped out in a year of an illness, something that could not happen before, makes it a whole new ballgame now. I also dislike the idea that you are hypocritical for playing by the rules. A coach may hate and advocate against instant replays but would be an idiot and not doing his job if he didn't utilize replays for his teams benefit when he could.

By: DLS

DLS — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:24:54 +0000

The courts have been used in the past and for all I know, laws have been enacted in authoritarian states like Singapore, where “elder support” is (and will grow as) a topic as important if not more so, in the future, than child support.

Why someone would shield their assets is no mystery, and it shows the current nature of the moral defects of welfare programs. Someone who has managed their life and money well must spend themselves into destitution out of their own pocket before getting Medicaid long-term care provided, whereas those who are already poor, often though poor choices and conduct, qualify promptly. That is morally defective. (The stigma associated with the moral defect is what lies behind the logic of seeking to make such programs universal rather than poor-directed or means-tested.)

We see that now with efforts by the likes of Barney Frank to buy votes by bailing out borrowers of home mortgages, often borrowed out of greed and the desire to have more than they can afford, and to count on exploiting rising home prices in the recent housing bubble. Those who do not face foreclosure are, to make things worse, taxed to be forced to pay those who didn't mismanage their lives and fortunes.

Long-term care is probably one thing the Obama people will seek to address when it pursues its health care “reform” agenda. Moving this from Medicaid to Medicare is something that no doubt would be highly appreciated by many (the beneficiaries and their families). Even if it is not made into a universal entitlement, do not be surprised if the income threshold for this is raised greatly, as with the games played with S-CHIP and with Obama's prospective subsidies for “mandatory” health insurance.

The health insurance people are taking initiative now to preserve their clout and position in any Obama health plan. They no doubt fear for their prospects should Washington make all the decisions, and at least this way they can hope to remain in “the system” and make some money for a few years longer, at least (before we go to Medicare for all). There's no reason this cannot expand in scope to include long-term care and long-term care insurance.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/19/tom-dasc...

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/20/insurers...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122714181668742...