The patient was age 53 when he was transferred to Kindred Hospital. He had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and bipolar disorder in his twenties. When he signed the arbitration agreement in issue, he had required 24-hour nursing care for the previous 13 years, although he was not cognitively impaired at the time of the.. read more →
Involuntary Transfers Or Evictions To Another Care Facility “Difficult” residents are often subjected to involuntary eviction on the basis of the resident’s welfare, and that the resident’s needs cannot be met at the current nursing facility. As one commentator notes, “This type of argument is misplaced, however, because it only applies if the resident’s needs.. read more →
The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 (“NHRA”) was enacted by Congress to provide “sweeping reform” in response to widespread issues of abuse, neglect, inadequate care, and general denial of residents’ basic rights in nursing facilities. Revised regulations for nursing facilities were released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) in 2016. These.. read more →
On November 20, 2019, I presented at the 2019 “The Medical Side of Elder Law” seminar given by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education at the Hilton/Doubletree Hotel in Fairfield, New Jersey. I presented an overview of the rights of residents of nursing homes and other care facilities under federal and state laws.. read more →
H.T. was admitted to a nursing home in Union City, NJ. Soon thereafter, a Medicaid application for the Nursing Home Medicaid program was filed on H.T.’s behalf. Under the Medicaid regulations, applicants for the Nursing Home Medicaid Program must be found clinically eligible to qualify for benefits. After an evaluation by the Medicaid agency to.. read more →
The 2019 “Elder Law in a Day” Seminar: Learn How To Handle Elder Law Issues And Cases Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (http://VanarelliLaw.com/) will present at the 2019 “Elder Law in a Day” seminar given by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education on January 29, 2020 at the New Jersey Law Center, 1 Constitution.. read more →
E.S. was admitted to Brookdale Assisted Living Facility (Brookdale) in April 2015. E.S. was paying for care privately from her own savings at that time. Realizing in December 2016 that E.S.’s financial resources would cover the cost of care for only a few more months, B.S., E.S.’s daughter and authorized representative, asked Brookdale to start.. read more →
M.M. filed for Medicaid benefits on three occasions. In June 2018, M.M. filed her first Medicaid application. Benefits were denied due to excess income; that is, her income exceeded the monthly cost of the assisted living facility (ALF) where she resided. She received $6,141.93 per month from an annuity she purchased for $73,673.11 in May.. read more →
N.S., who was 87 years old and residing in a nursing home, submitted an application for Medicaid benefits through his authorized representative, L.P. Prior to his admission to the nursing home, N.S. resided with his wife, D.S., who was 86 years old. For months after the application was filed, the Medicaid caseworker requested additional documents.. read more →
In 1986, Plaintiff Andres Nieves, Sr. purchased a home in Dover, New Jersey (the “home”) with his son, Andres Nieves, Jr. (“Nieves, Jr.”) In 2002, plaintiff suffered a stroke rendering him unable to perform various “activities of daily living” without assistance. Plaintiff resided in the home with his son until he entered a long-term care.. read more →
On April 26, 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a Notice to state housing agencies concerning the impact of ABLE accounts on eligibility for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and a host of other federal housing programs. ABLE accounts were created in 2014 by the passage of the Achieving a.. read more →
J.G., an indigent nursing home resident, applied for Medicaid benefits. While his Medicaid application was pending, J.G. passed away. Thereafter, the Essex County Division of Family Assistance and Benefits, the county welfare agency, denied J.G.’s Medicaid application, concluding he was ineligible as he died before eligibility could be met. Future Care Consultants, J.G.’s designated authorized.. read more →
New Jersey appeals court allows an assisted living facility pursue a tortious interference with contractual relationship claim against a discharged resident’s son after the son refused to move his mother out of the nursing home or allow her to discuss her removal with the facility staff. The Orchards at Bartley Assisted Living v. Schleck (N.J… read more →
An 82-year old widow living on Social Security benefits borrowed over $400,000 and signed mortgage documents calling for the loan to be repaid in monthly installments over 30 years. The bank brought a foreclosure action, claiming that the mortgage was a conventional mortgage and that the widow had defaulted on the payments. The widow claimed.. read more →
Nursing Home Resident’s Son Who Filed A Medicaid Application Which Was Denied Did Not Breach Admissions Agreement
A New Jersey appeals court held that a nursing home is not entitled to summary judgment in a case alleging breach of the admissions agreement against a resident’s son based solely on the fact that Medicaid denied the resident’s application due to excess resources. Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation Inc. v. Skwara (N.J. Super. Ct., App. Div., No… read more →
M.K. resided in an assisted living facility (ALF) since 2006. She applied for Medicaid benefits and was approved as of May 1, 2015. Due to the income limitations of the Medicaid program, M.K. deposited all of her income in a Qualified Income Trust, or QIT. By doing so, income deposited in the QIT was not.. read more →
Petitioner was admitted to Monmouth Medical Center. Thereafter, petitioner was discharged to Liberty Royal Rehabilitation and Health Care Center (Liberty Royal), a Medicaid certified nursing home. Less than one week later, he was transferred to Crystal Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Crystal Lake), another Medicaid certified nursing home. Petitioner remained at Crystal Lake until his.. read more →
In a comprehensive, published opinion, the New Jersey Appellate Division provided guidance regarding the appointment and functions of a guardian ad litem, this time in the context of a personal injury litigation. While exiting the defendant’s business premises, plaintiff was struck on the head by a falling object and sustained severe injuries. She filed a.. read more →
Nursing home care is growing ever more expensive. Contact your elder law attorney to learn how you can protect some or all of your family’s assets. For the first time, the median cost of a private nursing home room in the United States increased to $100,375 a year in 2018, up 3 percent from 2017,.. read more →
If an applicant for Medicaid signed a contract with an assisted living facility agreeing to a pay privately for a period of time, any penalty resulting from a transfer of assets cannot begin until the end of the private pay period, even if the applicant is otherwise eligible for benefits. B.K. v Division of Medical.. read more →
A New Jersey appeals court ruled that the State must hold a full evidentiary hearing before rejecting the claim of an assisted living facility resident who wanted to deduct the cost of a full-time aide from the income she paid to the facility. G.F. v. Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (N.J. Super. Ct., App… read more →
New Jersey recently changed state law governing “refundable” entrance fee agreements used by Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). State law limits the amount of time that CCRCs are permitted to retain “refundable” entrance fees after a resident vacates a facility due to relocation or death. Until recently, although New Jersey law required CCRCs to repay.. read more →
The veteran in this case had been residing in a medical facility operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for several years. He was incompetent and had no dependents. The veteran had been receiving VA pension benefits based upon financial need. The Director of the VA facility was serving as veteran’s payee. The veteran.. read more →
A.F. was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and osteoarthritis in 2007. She also had difficulty walking. Her husband, T.F., was in failing health, with Parkinson’s disease and COPD, and had other mobility issues. Beginning in 2012, T.F. could not care for A.F. due to his own health problems. T.F. died of lung cancer in 2015. J.F.,.. read more →
Public Law 113–295, also known as The Stephen Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE Act), was enacted December 19, 2014. The ABLE Act provides individuals with special needs and disabilities to save money for disability related expenses in tax-free savings accounts while preserving their needs-based government benefits. Modeled on 529 college savings plans, ABLE.. read more →
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