A staggering 1 in 13 elderly people are estimated to have suffered from some form of elder abuse this year. As older people are quite vulnerable to attacks, theft, or assaults of every kind, some poorly trained staff have been known to take advantage of them. Even if your loved one is in good mental and physical health, it’s important to have an elder law attorney on your side long before this happens.
If you’re wondering why you might need an elder law attorney for the one you love, here are 7 vital reasons.
1. Power Of Attorney
When you’re worried about the terms of care for your loved one, you can be constantly stressed out. You need to be worrying about which path is best for caring for the person you love, without having legal entanglements in the way. With the help of an attorney specializing in elder law, you can clear the path ahead of you.
Getting power of attorney is the first step in being able to ensure that your loved one has the care they deserve without any complications. When elder Americans are suffering from a chronic illness or disease, time may be of the essence.
2. Long-Term Care Is Complicated
Trying to manage and calculate a care plan for your loved one is difficult if you don’t have a lot of money in the bank. An elder law attorney can find legal standing for why your loved one deserves assistance. If you don’t have the money right away, they can advocate for public programs to help.
Learn about the different levels of care so that you know what to expect and how much it will cost.
If your loved one isn’t eligible for the kinds of programs that are available to people with low incomes, they can start the process of liquidating assets. Once you start unloading assets to help pay for care, you should be able to ensure quality, stress-free care for your loved one.
3. Medicare and Medicaid Planning
Hiring an elder care attorney is important when you’re trying to navigate the landscape of dealing with Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is an automatic benefit for older Americans after a certain age. With the combined efforts of Medicaid for lower-income Americans, you can help pay for long-term care in some states.
Your elder law attorney can help you understand what the restrictions may be and what the limits to eligibility are. While your elderly loved one might seem like they fit all of the limitations of eligibility, you might end up hitting a snag along the way. An attorney will help you get loose of that snag so that care can begin ASAP.
4. Veterans Need Extra Help
Older Americans who have been in the military are owed an added layer of benefits as they get older. Whether or not they suffered physical injuries on the battlefield, they may have different psychological or social needs from their civilian peers. They might need regular trips to meet with other veterans to stay happy and healthy.
If there are limitations to travel or restrictions that your loved one is dealing with, the elder care attorney knows how to navigate those rough patches. They can make a sound argument why their residential home should be providing travel services and they can fight for extended curfews.
5. Estates Can Be Difficult To Manage
If your loved one has a large estate with lots of assets to deal with, managing them and unloading them can be a hassle. Without the help of an attorney, you’ll be spending hour after hour at city hall filling out paperwork. You could end up paying huge taxes and fees without receiving a dime for your efforts.
Your elder law expert knows how to keep this process from becoming a major headache for you. They can streamline the process without you having to give too much feedback or input. They’ll set everything up so that when you show up to their office, just a few signatures will put those assets in your name.
6. Disabled Elders Need Extra Help
If your elderly loved one has a disability, they might find travel to be a struggle. They might need special accommodations that their care facility doesn’t feel compelled to provide. Whether or not they want to provide that care, it might be their legal responsibility.
Hiring an elder law specialist, you’ll have inside knowledge about what’s legal and what’s not. There could be a myriad of ADA regulations you don’t know about that your loved one could be taking advantage of. Ask your lawyer about details on this.
7. Elder Abuse Is A Major Issue
Elder abuse can happen in even the finest facilities in the country. People could see your sick or disabled loved one and think about dollar signs. They could see your loved one as a vehicle for their own needs or their own profit.
An elder care law specialist will ensure that your loved one isn’t the victim of these issues. With a lawyer on your side, everyone will know that your loved one is protected. If they do suffer from a traumatic abuse or get taken advantage of, your lawyer knows how to punish them to the full extent of the law.
Hiring An Elder Law Attorney Puts Your Mind At Ease
Just the act of hiring an elder law attorney to protect your loved one’s assets and keep your paperwork in order can save you headaches down the road. As their health deteriorates or as they need further care from a memory care facility, there will be other things on your mind. Be sure that your lawyer knows the conditions in advance and you’ll be protected from problems for years to come.
If you’re worried about choosing the right type of memory care facility to avoid the headaches, check out our latest guide.
