Birth, marriage, divorce, custody, adoption and death certificates
Naturalization papers
Military records
Papers documenting real estate and home leases and purchases, mortgages and home improvements
Medical records
Social Security records and communications
Bank account, brokerage and mutual fund statements
Business and partnership agreements
Index
A
Abuse ... 69
Hotline ... 70
Signs of Abuse ... 69
Accommodations under the Americans with Diabilities Act ... 71
Activities of Daily Living ... 58, 62, 67 Adult Day Care ... 19, 63, 65, 66 Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) ... 72
Agent ...29, 30, 31, 32, 57, 68, 80 American Association of Retired Persons ... 23
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ... 70
Appeals In Denials of Benefits ... 46
APPRISE Program ... 17, 19, 51 Area Agencies for theAging ... 17
Assisted Living Facilities ... 57
Attendant Care ... 17, 18 Attorney-Client Relations... 15
B
Beneficiaries ... 19, 25, 26, 27, 29, 40, 43, 44, 45, 54 Benefit Triggers... 58, 67 By-Pass Trusts ... 25C
Capital Gains Tax ... 21, 28 Jointly-held Property ... 21, 27 Caregivers ... 18, 47, 62, 66 Protection From Discrimination ... 73Charitable Gift Annuity ... 28
Charitable Organizations ... 75
Checklist for Your Personal Filing ... 81
Choosing An Attorney ... 16
Conflicts of Interest ... 15
Consumer Protection ... 74, 75 Long Term Care Insurance ... 65, 69 Resources ... 77
Continuing Care RetirementCommunities (CCRC) ... 59
Contract ... 59
Continuing Legal Education ... 5, 15 Counseling ... 17, 23, 51, 52, 55, 63 Medicare Insurance ... 51
National Family Caregiver Support Program ... 63
Veteran's Benefits ... 54
Credit Shelter Trusts ... 25
Custody-Grandparents' ... 77, 78
D
Daycare ... 17, 18, 64, 65 Disability Benefits ... 35, 39, 40, 41, 53 Discrimination ... 15, 71, 72, 73 Age ... 72 Disabilities ... 71Do Not Call Lists ... 76
Domiciliary Care Services ... 62
Drivers’ Licenses ... 80 Durable ... 26, 29, 30, 41, 42, 46 Medical Equipment ... 41, 42, 46 Power of Attorney ... 29
E
Elder Abuse ... 18, 55, 69 Elder Law ... 15, 19 Employment Assistance ... 18 Energy Assistance ... 52Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ... 73
Equity Conversion ... 21, 22, 23 Estate and Gift Taxes... 27
Estate Planning ... 24, 25, 26, 28, 29 Ethical Rules ... 15
Executor ... 25, 29, 34, 80
F
Failure to Act ... 30Fair Market Value ... 28, 51 Family Caregiver Support Program ... 18, 62, 63 Fannie Mae ... 22
Fees ... 26, 29, 58, 59 Assisted Living ... 58
Trusts ... 25, 26 Financial Planning ... 15
Financial Power of Attorney ... 30
Food Stamps ... 52
Fraud ... 31, 76, 77 Mail Fraud ... 76
National Fraud Information Center Phone Number ... 77
Power of Attorney ... 31
Steps to Minimize ... 31
G
Geriatric Care Manager ... 64Gifts ... 27, 28, 51 Estate Planning ... 28
Grandchildren ... 55, 77, 78, 79 Grandparents' Custody & Visitation Rights ... 77
Guardianships ... 33
H
Handicapped Parking ... 80 Health Care ... 31, 32, 53, 69 HIPPA ... 32 Living Wills ... 31Provisions in a Power of Attorney ... 31
Veteran's Benefits ... 53
Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will ... 31
Hearing Before the Court ... 33
Home Equity Conversion ... 21
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ... 22
Home Support ... 17
Hospital Insurance ... 41
Housing ... 15, 17, 22, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 62, 64 Long Term Care Facilities ... 56
National Housing Locator Seniors ... 62
Options ... 61
PA Housing Finance Agency ... 22
Subsidized ... 61
I
Identification Cards ... 80 Incapacitated Person ... 33, 34 Income Tax ... 19, 20, 38 Credit ... 20Income Tax Planning & Preparation ... 19
Returns ... 19, 23, 26, 28, 81 Social Security Benefits ... 38
Standard Deduction at Age 65 ... 20
Inheritance Taxes ... 26
In-home Services ... 18, 63 Internal Revenue Service ... 20, 28 Toll Free Number ... 20
Intestacy Law ... 24
L
Lawyer Referral Service ... 16, 26, 36, 55 PA Bar Association's Toll Free Number ... 36Lawyers Fund for Client Security ... 15
Living Trusts ... 26
Revocable ... 26
Living Will ... 31
Long Term Care.... 18, 20, 50, 56, 57, 58, 60, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69 Assessment ... 50, 57, 62, 63, 64 Costs ... 66
Facilities ... 56
Helpline ... 19
Medical Expense Deductions ... 20
Ombudsman ... 57, 64 Resources ... 65
Long Term Care Insurance ... 58, 66 Benefit Trigger ... 58
Consumer Tips ... 68
Coverage Needed ... 66
Factors Affecting Costs ... 66
Independent Advice ... 69 Resources ...28, 29, 33, 45, 46, 50, 67 Services Covered ... 66
M
Mail Fraud ... 76 Meals on Wheels... 52 Mediation Services ... 78, 79 Benefits of ... 79 Medicaid ... 49 Disqualification ... 51 Eligibility ... 50, 53, 54, 63 Estate Recovery ... 51 Medicaid Planning ... 51Medical Expense Deductions ... 20
Medicare ... 41
Appeals ... 46
Medicare Advantage ... 43, 44, 45, 47, 48 Part A, Hospital Insurance ... 41
Part B, Medical Insurance... 42
Part D Assistance for Persons withLow Income ... 48
Savings Program ... 45
Veteran's Uniform Benefits Package & Medicare ... 54
Medigap ... 43, 44, 46, 48, 65 Medigap Insurance ... 43
Meeting With Your Lawyer ... 29
N
National Mail Order Pharmacy ... 54Neglect... 69, 70 Hotline ... 70 Signs of, ... 69 Non-Probate Property ... 27 Nursing Home ... 56, 57 Licenses Problems, Sanctions and Revocations ... 64
Residents' Rights ... 56
Resources ... 65
O
Older Americans Act ... 17Ombudsman ... 17, 57 On-line Scams ... 77
Orphans’ Court ... 33, 34 Out of Hospital Do Not Resuscitate(DNR) Orders ... 32
P
PACE ... 19, 24, 48, 49 PACENET ... 24, 48, 49 Parents ... 25, 37, 77, 78, 79 Pennsylvania Bar Association ... 4, 5, 6, 26, 36, 55 Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service ... 26Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Bureau ... 74
Pennsylvania Department of Aging ..17, 19, 44, 51, 57, 61, 65, 69, 70 Pennsylvania Department of PublicWelfare ... 52
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue... 23, 24 Property Tax & Rent Rebate Information Toll Free Number ... 24
Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureauof Charitable Organization’s ... 75
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ... 80
Handicapped Parking ... 80
Identification Cards ... 80
Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency ... 22
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission... 73
Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax ... 27
Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client Security ... 15
Pennsylvania Legal Services ... 55
Personal Care Homes ... 62
Personal Records... 80
Checklist for Your Filing System ... 81
Physician Order for Life-sustaining Treatment “POLST” Form ... 33 Planning ... 19, 23, 24, 28 Estate Planning ... 24 Financial Planning ... 19 Gifts ... 28 Medicaid ... 49
Meeting With Your Lawyer ... 29
Power of Attorney ... 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 57, 79, 80 Failure to Act ... 30 Fraud ... 31 General ... 29, 50, 74, 75, 77 Health Care ... 30 Revoking ... 30 Prescription Benefits ... 54
Additional Benefits for Members of the Uniformed Services54 Property Tax and Rent Rebates... 23
Protection from Abuse Orders ... 70
Protective Services ... 17
Public Benefits for Non-Citizens ... 55
R
Railroad Retirement Benefits ... 52Diability Benefits ... 41, 53 Railroad Retirement Board ... 52
Recovery, Estate ... 51 Rent Rebate ... 23, 24 Residents' Rights Assisted Living ... 56, 58, 59 Nursing Home ... 56, 57, 58, 59, 65 Resources ... 19, 41, 69, 77 Consumer Protection ... 77 Housing Options ... 61, 62 Long Term Care Facilities ... 56
Long Term Care Insurance ... 58
Older Americans Act ... 17
Social Security ... 41
Retirement Communities ... 59, 61, 65 Reverse Mortgages ... 21, 22, 23 Revocable Living Trusts ... 26
Revoking a Power of Attorney ... 30
Rules of Professional Conduct ... 15
S
Safe DepositBox ... 25Sale of Residence ... 21
Senior Adult Activities Centers... 18
Service Connected ... 53, 54 Skilled Nursing Facility ... 42, 50 Social Security23, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 49, 55, 66, 76, 80, 81 Benefits for a Divorced Spouse ... 37
Benefits to Divorced Widow(er)s ... 38
Correcting Records ... 35
Deadlines ... 35
Disability Insurance Benefits ... 37
Income Tax ... 38
Legal Assistance ... 36
Resources ... 41
Retirement Benefits ... 36
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ... 37
Survivor Benefits ... 37
Toll-Free Number ... 35
Website ... 35
Written Explanation for Denial of Benefits ... 35
Springing Power ofAttorney ... 30
Subsidized Housing ... 61
Supplemental Security Income ... 23, 25, 34, 37, 52 Survivor Benefits ... 37, 41
T
Taxes ... 19, 23, 24, 25, 28, 41 Basis, Special rules for Surviving Spouse ... 21Credit ... 20
Estate Tax ... 20, 25 Gift ... 27, 28 Inheritance ... 27
Planning/Preparation ... 19
Proberty and Rent Rebates ... 23
Standard Deduction ... 20
Telemarketing ... 76
The National Family CaregiverSupport Program ... 62
Transportation Services ... 61 Trigger Date ... 51 Trustee ... 25 Trusts ... 26
V
Veterans ... 53Federal Benefits for Veterans ... 53
Veterans' Health Care Benefits ... 53
Veterans' Uniform Benefits Package and Medicare ... 54
Visitation Rights, Grandparents' ... 77
Volunteer Income TaxAssistance Program ... 20
Volunteer Services ... 18
W
Wills ... 24, 28