Thursday, June 6, 2013

Author Guest Blog: Navigating The Eldercare Journey:Without Going Broke! by Jodi Clock



A Must-Have Book!

Navigating the Eldercare Journey: Without Going Broke
by Jodi Clock

About The Author:

For
over 25 years, Jodi M. Clock has worked in the ‘end-of-life
planning’ industry, including family and corporately owned funeral
homes, advance funeral planning companies, casket manufacturers and
insurance agencies. Having personally witnessed the financial
confusion that families endure, especially at an emotionally taxing
time, Ms. Clock has centered her career on helping people to
understand the options that are available to them. She currently
writes and speaks about the basics of Medicaid and asset protection
and is a seasoned expert in end-of-life directives.

Ms. Clock wrote
Navigating the Elder Care Journey...Without Going Broke! to help
people appreciate the important facts they need to know in order to
make the right financial choices, in one easy-to- understand guide.
It is her hope that through the personal stories, straightforward
information, and family care plans which include checklists, she will
help people manage this process. Her goal is for everyone to become
informed on options available that will not leave their hard-earned
assets unnecessarily exposed, potentially saving them hundreds if not
thousands of dollars; qualify for Medicaid; and have their funeral
expenses pre-paid, therefore allowing their loved ones the ability to
focus on what’s important and not have anxiety or stress over
finances.



When she’s not
consulting or helping manage the family funeral business, she
volunteers with The Noah Project, a no kill animal shelter. An avid
animal lover and supporter, she has a house full of pets and enjoys
spending time on the western Michigan shoreline.


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Genre:
Non-Fiction
/ Aging Parents/ End of Life/ Eldercare / Financial Planning

Publisher:
Windy
City Publishers
Release
Date:
April
26, 2013



Book
Description:

I
don’t feel old.  I don’t feel anything until noon.

That’s
when it’s time for my nap.” 

Bob
Hope


We’ve all enjoyed a
good laugh at the perils of getting older. But entering your Golden
Years without any money is no joke. End-of life planning is a
difficult subject to talk about - between facing mortality (either
your parents or your own) to discussing the ever-confusing subject
revolving around long term care options or understanding the
differences between Medicare and Medicaid, or a living will vs. a
living trust, there’s nothing fun about facing death and the issues
that come with it.






Navigating the
Eldercare Journey – Without Going Broke! can help reduce the
challenges and minimize frustration encountered when you are placed
in this situation. This easy-to-understand guide takes you from the
basics of understanding long term care options that are available,
how to seek out an elder care attorney and know if they are good fit
for your needs, and how to qualify for Medicaid as a financial means
to pay for care, including the benefits of funeral planning - in
layman’s terms. Author Jodi M. Clock provides fundamental
information regarding the basics in a way that helps you understand
not only why her recommendations are important, but how you can
minimize financial exposure regarding end-of-life events. Whether you
are in a crisis situation or taking proactive measures, these
valuable end-of-life solutions could safeguard you and your parents’
assets.






You have a choice –
be proactive and preserve your money. Don’t leave it unprotected
and unnecessarily taxed when you or your parents die. No matter how
prepared you think you are, the reality of death is sobering, and
expensive. When time is on your side, you can make well- thought-out,
proactive decisions, enabling you to focus on what’s most important
in life.









________________________






Praise
for Navigating the Eldercare Journey:Without Going Broke!~








"Absolutely
Essential Reading!"
~AuctionHugh, Amazon Reviewer








"This
book was insightful and educational. The layout of the book
(especially the key points) allows you to easily scan pages if you
don't need to read the entire chapter."
~Laura, Amazon
Reviewer








"Everyone
should have a copy of this book in their home. An easy read, but full
of useful information. It relieved a lot of the stress I felt about
this topic."
~Bill Sangster, Amazon Reviewer








________________________

Excerpt
One
:

The Emergence of Medicaid
Planning
Medicaid planning is a new concept and is probably somewhat
of a mystery unless it has impacted you or someone you love directly.
Quite possibly, “You
don’t know what you don’t know”.
Receiving Medicaid assistance to pay for endof-life care is based
primarily on net worth and income. Your financial assets cannot
exceed a certain amount. If they do, you will be required to pay for
your care privately until your assets are depleted to the point at
which you do qualify. This often causes individuals to enter into a
“spend down” cycle that depletes their personal nest eggs. With
good planning, however, you can properly position and reallocate your
assets to preserve your nest egg and also qualify for Medicaid.

Up until the last 20
years or so the need to reposition assets (i.e., to have all of the
individual’s assets owned by a living trust) to qualify for
Medicaid assistance didn’t exist. Why? The average life expectancy
was not as long as it is today. In our parent’s generation, someone
living to age 80 was equivalent to someone today living to be 90 or
even 100 years old. Over the next 25 years, as the baby boomer
generation begins to age, the number of people who will be in need of
this type of planning will be tremendous. Organization is essential!

The criterion for
Medicaid is specific, and if you need help understanding it, there
are resources available. Don’t let the process be intimidating!









5 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting today :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. A much needed resource! I wish you well on your tour:) Pit Crew

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome! Good luck with the tour.

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  4. Of course. My parents just retired and planned very well. My grandparents are very old and still have it together as well. I would love to be as prepared as they are!

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  5. So many need this. My mother is getting to that age. Thank goodness I don't have to make this decision alone.

    ReplyDelete

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