Medicare vs. Medicaid for long-term care
The two names sound alike, but they cover very different things. Here's the difference that matters when a parent needs ongoing care.
Starter guides
Plain-English starting points for the big questions. Each fact links to the official page it came from, so you can check it yourself and see the latest rules.
Before your parent leaves the hospital
A short list of things to ask and gather before discharge, taken from Medicare's own discharge planning checklist.
The legal papers families ask about most
Power of attorney, health care proxy, living will and HIPAA permission: what each one does, in plain English.
Can you get paid to care for a parent?
Sometimes. These are the official programs to ask about, and the rules vary by state.
Helping manage a parent's money
Where to start if your parent needs help with benefits, bills or scams, and the official help that exists.
Home safety: a room-by-room checklist
Simple changes that can help prevent falls at home, from the National Institute on Aging.
Free help lines worth saving
Official phone lines for Medicare, Social Security, local services, veterans, fraud and crisis support, all in one place.