May is here, and in addition to celebrating the arrival of spring, this month has been designated as Older American’s Month and National Elder Law Month.
The theme for Older Americans Month is “Blaze a Trail,” which is exactly what advocates for older adults and their families are doing. The (Carlisle, PA) Sentinel’s article, “Elder Care: Elder law vs. elder care,” says that if you open any telephone book or do a search online, a number of attorneys will advertise the practice of elder law—often thought of as estate planning (wills and powers of attorney) and estate administration (the execution of a will and management of the financial affairs of a person who has passed away).
Many times we hear about difficult situations, resolved into neat packages that are each tied with a bow. These are the result of a plan that implements care coordination services in addition to traditional legal services. In many situations, creative thinking and planning by qualified elder law attorneys who are familiar with healthcare and support providers achieves these best possible outcomes.
Flexibility and cooperation by service providers is an essential element in achieving success.
When obtaining appropriate care is combined with legal and health system knowledge, most family situations involving seniors that don’t fit neatly into a category can be sorted through and resolved by an experienced legal professional. Stress is reduced, and everyone will be as comfortable as possible with the result.
Call it elder law or elder care, it often takes both to help seniors blaze a trail in their senior years.
Reference: The (Carlisle, PA) Sentinel (April 27, 2016) “Elder Care: Elder law vs. elder care”
#ElderLaw #LongTermCarePlanning #PayingforaNursingHome
Author Bio
Kim Hegwood
Managing Attorney
Kim Hegwood is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Your Legacy Legal Care®, a Houston-based estate planning and elder law firm she established in 1998. A graduate of South Texas College of Law, Kim was inspired to focus her practice on elder law and estate planning after watching her own grandparents struggle with the challenges of aging. With nearly 30 years of experience, she helps families with wills, trusts, powers of attorney, Medicaid planning, and asset protection.
Kim is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and her firm has been named Best Trust & Estate Law Firm by the Houston Chronicle. A mother of three, she spends her free time with her children and grandchildren and volunteers with several local charities.
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