Are you or is someone you love suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia? Do you worry about whether you may be unable to make clear decisions for yourself as you age? If so, an elder law attorney can provide you with guidance and practical steps you can take now to protect your future.
The elder law attorneys at Jarvis Law Office – with locations in Lancaster, Dublin, and St. Clairsville – offer elder care planning for Ohio seniors so that you and your loved ones can enjoy peace of mind.
If you’re beginning the search for an elder law attorney near you, look no further. Keep reading to learn more about how an elder care lawyer can assist you, how to prepare, and where to find one in Ohio.
What Does an Elder Law Attorney Do?
As you get older, life may throw some curveballs. Suddenly, you have to worry about the tricky legal issues that can arise if you become incapacitated or no longer have enough funds for necessary long-term care. These special needs can significantly affect your quality of life, financial stability, and loved ones.
Fortunately, you do not have to figure all this out on your own – that’s what elder care attorneys do. An elder law attorney can help you prepare for the future by helping you examine:
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- Estate planning
- Nursing home care
- Incapacity
- Finding long-term care
- Creating a power of attorney
- Advance directives
- Asset arrangements
- Will and trust planning
- Veterans benefits
Although an estate planning lawyer can help with some of these items, an elder law attorney is skilled in serving the unique needs of older individuals and their families.
How Can an Elder Care Lawyer Help If I Have Alzheimer’s or Dementia?
Alzheimer’s and dementia affect the way a person thinks and interacts with the world, usually causing memory loss and confusion that worsens over time, making it nearly impossible for the person to care for themselves as the condition progresses. The span of decline can take 10 to 15 years before finally causing death. The long-term impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia is emotionally, physically, and often financially devastating for families.
Most older adults are concerned with the future, but those with Alzheimer’s or dementia must ensure that they take the steps to document their wishes and identify trusted individuals to carry out those wishes in the future as their abilities decline and they are no longer able to do so themselves. These individuals may need to take action to secure quality care in a safe living environment, manage the individual’s assets, including protecting their assets from being completely drained, making or carrying out decisions about property, and coordinating with loved ones. All this needs to be arranged before the illness progresses too far.
So, how exactly can an elder care lawyer help if you or your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia?
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- Care arrangements: Paying for long-term care is not easy. An elder care lawyer can help you proactively plan your care needs so that you or your loved ones don’t go broke.
- Powers of attorney: Creating powers of attorney will allow a trusted family member or friend to make legal and healthcare decisions on your behalf. This will ensure that you receive quality care and have the ability to pay for that care without ever having to go broke or becoming a burden on your family or other loved ones. An elder care lawyer can help you draft these documents.
- Asset protection: You likely want to ensure that the nest egg you’ve worked to save throughout your life ends up in the right hands. These assets are preserved to ensure that you have everything you could need throughout your lifetime, and any remaining funds are passed to those that you have chosen. Preserving your dignity and your ability to choose where your assets go after you’ve passed is an important role of an elder care attorney.
Identifying an Elder Care Lawyer Near Me
Finding the right person to trust with something so important is a big decision. You want someone with ample experience, knowledge, empathy, and who genuinely cares to support you or your loved ones.
Here is a checklist to help you choose an elder law attorney that’s right for you:
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- How much experience does the attorney have helping families impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia?
- Does the law firm focus specifically on elder law as a primary practice area?
- How much time does the attorney spend working in elder law?
- Does the attorney offer free consultations? If not, what will the initial visit cost?
- Does the elder law firm have staff who have completed specialized training in the areas of Alzheimer’s and dementia?
- How does the firm charge for its services, and what charges can you expect in the future?
- Since Alzheimer’s and dementia can take so long to run its course, does the firm also do Medicaid planning to preserve assets, and do they handle the Medicaid planning, strategy and application processes?
- If the person with Alzheimer’s or dementia is married, how will the elder care attorney address the needs of the healthy spouse?
Before your consultation with an elder care attorney, prepare to answer questions they may ask such as the following:
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- How is the disease affecting your loved one?
- How is the disease affecting you and other close family members?
- What current care or assistance is your loved one receiving?
- What has changed? Are they still managing their own finances? How is that going?
- Does your loved one live at home, with a family member or in a care center?
- Do they need a caregiver at this time? Who is the caregiver? Is the caregiver in good health? What does the caregiving schedule look like if there is more than one caregiver?
- What property or assets does the patient own? Do they have any debts?
- Who will be involved in making important decisions for your loved one?
Find Ohio Elder Care Lawyers Near You at Jarvis Law Office
At Jarvis Law Office, our mission is to protect seniors and those who love them. We know that safeguarding your dignity and assets can become difficult as you age, but we are here to help. If you or someone you love has Alzheimer’s, contact us today to see if you qualify for a free or no-cost consultation. We can video-chat with you or meet at one of our office locations: Lancaster (740) 653-3450, Dublin (614) 495-4185, or St. Clairsville (740) 699-2193.
We also provide in-person workshops and live webinars each month for free as a service to the great people of Ohio. Join us as we discuss topics of interest to you.
Copyright© 2021. Jarvis Law Office, P.C. All rights reserved.
The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
Jarvis Law Office, P.C.
904 N. Columbus Street
Lancaster, OH 43130
(740) 653-3450
https://www.jarvisfirm.com
