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If you care for an elderly parent, spouse, or loved one, you know their struggles: health care, housing finances, and long-term care. Family caretakers, usually family members who care for the elderly or sick seniors, may feel overwhelmed by the need to make the last years of their loved ones pleasant and as comfortable as possible.
Quality of caregiving gets more critical as a senior’s loved ones age. Sooner or later, preparations for the future will be required to guarantee that their needs and needs are met. Through their knowledge, lawyers specializing in elder law will be able to lessen the burden of caring for a loved one.
In What Ways Can Elder Law Aid Family Caregivers?
Here are a few ways elder law and a knowledgeable lawyer can aid those caring for elderly family members:
1. Long-Term Care Planning
Many families have different opinions on how to look after a beloved family member. A lawyer who specializes in elder law will be able to provide an objective assessment of a long-term strategy because solid emotions do not have an impact on them.
An elder law firm assisting our elderly evaluates circumstances to figure out whether the patient can be treated at home or would be better served with long-term home placement. Then, they look at ways to protect assets before the possibility of long-term care.
2. Applying for Medicaid or Veterans Benefits
Medical expenses and other assets are considered when deciding on Medicaid eligibility, but the requirements vary from state to state. A reasonable elder law attorney can help you on whether applying for Medicaid is the right choice for your future and how it might impact your financial decisions.
The aid and attendance benefit assists those with high long-term health expenses. However, many veterans need to be made aware that they’re qualified. You can seek advice from an attorney specializing in elder law regarding this and other government programs and resources from which your loved ones may benefit.
3. Creating a Living Trust
It’s common for a loved one to want their belongings and inheritance to go to family members or essential institutions. Without estate planning, assets belonging to your loved one could go through probate.
But, they can keep charge of the assets of children with special needs using the help of special needs trusts. A specialist in elder law will help you understand the complicated legal requirements of setting up a living trust.
4. Placing a Durable Power of Attorney
You may worry about your loved one’s health choices when they have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. You can contact an attorney specializing in elder law to draft a durable power of attorney. A power of attorney lets the person you have appointed make financial or medical decisions for your loved ones if they are incapable.
Imagine that your loved ones became disabled and did not have a durable power of attorney. In this case, the elder law attorney may be able to help begin guardianship proceedings to give you or a different guardian to take care of the financial and personal affairs of their loved ones.
5. Protecting Assets
Family members might benefit from visiting lawyers specializing in elder law to learn to recognize warning signs of financial abuse. When loved ones slow down or their health declines, an individual may benefit by coming over and “helping out,” or an honest adult could try to gain access to financial accounts.
Their wealth must be protected from fraudsters. A probate lawyer can inform authorities of crimes or fraud and aid the elderly client or their family.
Conclusion
Senior members of our families are a necessity for us. As a gesture of gratitude and appreciation, we must treat them well, particularly in their health and basic needs. We must also protect the other aspects of their life, such as their property and liberty. Elder law is vital in protecting your loved family members. Therefore, the help you seek and provide can make a significant difference in elders’ lives.
