Five Things You Need to Know About Elder Law Attorney
1 out of every 10 elderly people in the United States confronts some kind of abuse or the other in a year.
The average age group is well over 65, which makes it even more shocking!
It’s only natural as compared to other age groups; the elderly lot are more vulnerable to attacks or assaults. At times, such incidents can be life-threatening.
With increasing crime rates, murder, and robbery, there’s no denying that the elderly class faces imminent danger day in and out. Hence, the need to keep themselves updated and protected knowing their rights can’t be stressed enough.
That is precisely where you need the help of an elder law attorney. Here is a list of common reasons why people go forward with hiring an elder law attorney.
- Medicaid and Medicare claims
- Claims of social security, living trusts, and disability planning
- Long-term and supplemental health insurance
- Living wills directed as a part of financial management and associated health care decisions
- Delegating decision making and management issues for incapability or incompetency
- Guardianships and Conservatorships
- Planning Estate planning and related issues including disposition of death and adjoining wills and trusts with other adequately planned documents
- Any and all sorts of probate
- Management and administration of estates and trusts
- Long-term or short term care placements in case of hospitalization and nursing care homes and other communities for life care.
While that seems like the right idea, there’s more to the story.
In this post, we mull over five significant things that you need to know about your elder law attorney to stay safe and protected. Read on to find out more.
Guarding Your Power Of Attorney
A majority of elder abuse cases arise out of financial disputes.
Any senior individual that you know and love, who is also wealthy, runs the risk of being abused. Hence, it is imperative to seek legal help to keep them away from imminent threats.
Power of Attorney is a weapon of choice to ensure that you hold the rights to all legal possession in the event of a sudden demise, or a chronic illness of the owner.
Caregiving
Taking care of your loved ones especially when they are suffering from a chronic illness is important.
However, problems ensue when you don’t have enough money to keep things going. In such cases, a helping hand is necessary.
An elder law attorney can make sure to take your legal stand on the grounds of assistance. The attorney will affirm to their right for all significant reasons. Hence, in the event you don’t have adequate money, your elder law attorney can champion for help from public programs. Before concluding on the same, you will need to take notes of the condition of your loved ones. Here are a couple of things to consider:
- How severe is his condition?
- What kind of care is required?
It is quite possible that your old man might not qualify for public programs. At times, one might have to liquidate their assets which demand guidance and recommendations from an elder law attorney.
Medicare and Medicaid Planning
Medicare is an automatic program for older Americans after they reach a certain age.
An elder law attorney can help you understand the restrictions and benefits of both programs, explain all eligibility criteria and other standards as well.
There are times when the coverage offered by Medicare and Medicaid might not be sufficient for the elder. Hence, an elder law attorney can help you decide on the right terms for maximum benefit.
Additional Help for Veterans
Military veterans enjoy a host of additional benefits as they turn old.
In case your old man is a veteran with war injuries, it is likely that he will require psychological or social help from civilians. They might want to interact and mingle with people to stay safe and happy.
Sometimes, they also have the urge to travel meeting fellow war veterans and are more likely to open up when around them.
However, with age and illness come travel restrictions. An elder law attorney can help scratch a legal document citing the grounds on which an elderly person can be allowed to travel.
Managing Estates
Managing estates is always difficult. Especially, when the elderly owner has a lot in possession.
With such a huge responsibility comes a dilemma, which can often cloud your sense of judgment and impair your decision making powers.
Paperworks, taxes, fees, bills; it’s a very demanding setup that demands calculations, legal knowledge, and whatnot.
An elder law attorney can help devise a uniformed manner of proceedings to ease your frustration and set things right. All you will need to do is understand the paperwork from them and sign the documents.
Hope this was a useful read. Stay tuned with us for more insights on legal affairs!