People ask what is Elder Law? It is a form of
estate planning for people in their later years
thus the term “elder.” Generally,
around 60 years of age individuals and their
families become concerned about the cost of
long-term care which can cost upward of $8,000 or
more per month for a nursing home providing medical
services. There are a variety of less costly
options such as adult family homes, senior assisted
communities and in home care.
If your goal is to receive a form of public
assistance to pay for long—term care such as
Medicaid, then the constantly changing rules can
prove to be daunting. In addition to the
complexity of qualifying for government paid
benefits is the reality that there is a shrinking
number of long-term care providers that will accept
Medicaid patients. In this environment, it is
prudent to consider long-term care insurance,
Reverse Mortgages, paid or unpaid family in-home
care or other options you may have.
As you can see, there isn’t a universal
solution to long-term care. Ultimately, you
should seek the advice of legal counsel to review
your circumstances and give you your own
individualized legal advice. In addition, your
family physician needs to help you in deciding the
level of care you might need based upon your health
care needs. To aid me in advising you, our
estate planning questionnaire is provided for you
to give me the facts I need. In addition,
bringing in your existing estate planning documents
such as wills, trusts, power of attorneys,
community property agreement and health care
directives will also help me determine what you
will need in the future. It is also helpful for you
to be aware of who you have designated as your
beneficiary on your investment accounts and
insurance contracts.
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If you have further questions concerning
elder law, please contact me at:
David A.
Gagley
Attorney at
Law
25052 104th Avenue SE
Suite B
Kent, WA 98030
Phone: (253) 854-1244
Fax:
(253) 852-4268
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