This up-to-date practice guide provides analysis and commentary on the laws and regulations affecting the elderly in Florida, as well as checklists and forms to facilitate counseling and drafting. A glossary of acronyms provides a handy reference for abbreviations of common agencies, programs, and other terms. Planning for the Elderly in Florida covers a wide range of issues of concern to the elderly in Florida, including:

•   Social Security benefits available to retired and disabled wage earners, spouses, dependents, and survivors;

•   Relevant federal income tax issues, including tax rates and exemptions, medical expense deductions, treatment of life insurance proceeds, and credits for the elderly and disabled and for a dependent's care;

•   Medicare eligibility and coverage as well as Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) policies;

•   Medicaid coverage and eligibility criteria, the rules governing the transfer of assets by a person who applies for Medicaid benefits in Florida, and the avenues available to Medicaid applicants who have been denied coverage;

•   Residents' rights in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult family care homes;

•   Planning for incapacity, including property management (durable powers of attorney, revocable living trusts, and joint ownership) and health care decisions (living wills, health care surrogate designations, do-not-resuscitate orders, health care proxies, as well as long-term care insurance);

•   Guardianship and its use, the procedure for initiating a guardianship, and the guardian's powers and limitations;

•   Social service programs available to seniors in Florida, the agencies responsible for their oversight, and program eligibility requirements; and

•   Elder abuse and the various remedies available to protect individuals and redress injuries.