Elder Care, Long-Term Care, and Crisis Planning

Caring for Those Who Took Care of Us

While the golden years are characterized by the joys of retirement, time spent with grandchildren, and long-awaited travel, as time passes they can also be touched by deteriorating health and financial concerns. As you or your loved one’s age, you will have needs that the compassionate team at HighPoint Law Offices can help you address and solve successfully.

Elder Care

Elder care covers several areas, from estate planning and asset protection to Medicaid planning and veterans’ benefits. 

At Highpoint Law Offices, we protect the rights of our elderly clients. We communicate with caregivers such as family members, medical professionals, social workers, and home aides to ensure that your wishes are respected and you continue to enjoy a high quality of life as you age.

Long-Term Care

The increasing cost of long-term care has made it critical to start planning as soon as possible. This care can cost you up to $14,000 per month or more. It’s a financial drain that can wipe out your savings very quickly. 

Modern long-term care insurance is a great help, but you may also want to protect assets from having to be spent down for care. By helping so many clients protect themselves from “nursing home bankruptcy,” we bring peace of mind to a stressful situation. 

At HighPoint Law Offices, we can help you and your family by setting up estate planning measures that allow you to meet your living expenses while preserving eligibility for Medicaid later on. Even if you haven’t planned for it yet, we will work with you to complete the Medicaid application, prepare asset protection strategies like Trusts, and when necessary, “spend down to qualify” in a way that won’t waste your family’s future inheritance.

Crisis Planning

Unfortunately, life is unpredictable and sometimes we are confronted with a crisis as we and our loved ones grow older. 

One common concern is dementia, which can affect a senior’s ability to take care of themselves, make sound decisions, and resist undue external influence. In these cases, where the person has no up-to-date or valid Power of Attorney, a guardianship may be necessary to protect their quality of care, assets, and legacy. 

With a guardianship, the affected person is legally placed under the care and supervision of a guardian or custodian. There are two main types:

  • Guardianship of the person grants authority over non-financial matters such as determining residence and making medical decisions.
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  • Guardianship of the estate or property empowers the guardian to make financial decisions, including managing income from assets and safeguarding property from loss whenever possible.

We work with seniors and their loved ones to determine the best course of action when critical assistance is needed and assist guardians in maintaining a full and accurate accounting of the estate. 

Veteran’s Aid and Attendance

For many veterans (and their spouses) who are paying for care (at home or in Assisted Living), the VA’s Aid and Attendance pension benefit is a godsend. With this additional monthly income, the veteran may be able to remain at home, or more easily pay for needed care. 

If you are or know a veteran, we will help you identify and apply for the Aid and Attendance benefit to give you the care and the dignified life you deserve.

Do You Need to Speak to an Elder Care Attorney?

If you do, Attorney Peter Gilbert and the team at HighPoint Law Offices are here for you. You and your family matter to us, and we are committed to protecting your interests when financial and healthcare concerns arise. For more information, please contact us here.