Baby boomers planning to retire soon will probably not give a lot of thought to questions about where they’re going to live when they are elderly. But even younger senior citizens should take some time to consider elder law and the common issues that often affect elderly people and their families. Here are a pair of common questions about issues that people often confront as they, or their family members, get older.
Question 1: What happens if I get Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a significant problem not just because there is no effective treatment or cure, but also because it leads to a loss of cognitive ability. Anyone with a disease or medical condition that causes them to lose the ability to make legal choices will have to have someone else appointed to make decisions on that person’s behalf. If you create a power of attorney before you lose capacity you can often eliminate the need to have to go through a costly guardianship appointment process in the courts.
Question 2: How do I pay for nursing home care?
No one likes to think about it, but transitioning to an elder care facility such as a nursing home is something many of us will have to do. If you want to use Medi-Cal to pay for nursing home expenses you will have to be ready to meet the stringent eligibility criteria imposed by the program. Planning ahead will allow you to protect as much of your assets as possible and ensure that you can have something to leave to your children as an inheritance.
An appointment with an experienced and qualified elder law attorney is the best planning attorney is the best place to start.
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