Special Needs

Articles

...for over 100 hours a week as her primary caregiver. That income kept the family housed and fed in Westminster. On July 1, 2026, his hours drop to 84. On...law, they're the first thing states cut when federal funding falls. If your family member receives Medicaid-funded home care through a waiver program, here's...

You're receiving SSI or SSDI, and you're wondering if your family qualifies for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The short...$35/month from their countable income, and are exempt from work requirements. A family that looks over-income on paper may qualify once medical expenses are factored...

...working with a care coordinator, social worker, or disability services case manager, they can identify the right waiver and help you apply. The Kaiser Family Foundation publishes state-by-state waiver data...

...three main models: group homes, supported living arrangements, and home ownership. Each has different cost structures, funding sources, and levels of family financial responsibility. Understanding what each model costs and where the money comes from is the foundation of a realistic long-term plan. Group...

...planning. Financial advisors mention it. Estate planning attorneys bring it up. The message is consistent: without LTC insurance, you're leaving your family exposed to catastrophic care costs. But for families with children with disabilities, standard long-term care insurance policies often exclude the...

...disqualification. Why Divorce Creates Benefit Coordination Risks. Third-party special needs trusts protect SSI and Medicaid eligibility by keeping family contributions outside the child's countable assets. But when parents are divorced, coordination failures create three common disqualification scenarios....

...bureaucracies, taught yourself skills online, or coordinated services for a family member. When someone asks what you bring to a job, you draw a blank. The...descriptions, but specific tasks. If you managed medical appointments for a family member, that included scheduling, tracking insurance authorizations, coordinating...

...you differently because of your disabled spouse, child, parent, or other family member (even if you don't have a disability yourself), that's a violation...wheelchair Creates a hostile work environment based on comments about your family member's disability The discrimination doesn't have to be overt. Employers...

...remove that barrier. You can compete for a director position in Denver while remaining in the city where your medical team, accessible housing, and family support already exist. The career ladder no longer requires choosing between advancement and stability. Visibility Used to Mean Physical Presence....

...Google Calendar with Google Home, connecting Alexa to Google or Outlook, configuring daily briefings that read a schedule aloud, and setting up shared family access so a caregiver can manage appointments that the user hears announced. If you're already using a voice assistant for dementia care reminders,...

...as a parent advocate, would shift the burden of proof in special education due process hearings from parents to school districts. Currently, when a family disputes how their child is being served, the parents must prove the school failed them. Last school year in Louisiana, only 1 of 43 due process complaints...

...Commission on People with Disabilities. The commission will have up to 30 volunteer members appointed by the governor, including people with disabilities, family members, and experts in relevant fields. Members serve two-year terms. Shapiro said the commission would have direct access to him, creating a formal...