As the year 2022 comes to an end, have you given any thought to long-term care planning? Have most of your family and friends either passed away or moved? Is your health good or have you had any health scares this year? Have these health scares during the past year caused you to think about where you want to live as you age or what might happen if you had a health crisis or even how to protect your legacy? We understand that as you age, you want the best for yourself, so learning about long-term care planning before you need it is a great idea.
As you think about your future, if you became incapacitated due to an accident, surgery or disease what would happen? Who would make your healthcare decisions, pay your bills, or keep an eye on your house? What would happen if you needed extra care to remain in your home or you needed a nursing home? Now is the time to plan, before a crisis occurs, and while you can make decisions for yourself. By working with an experienced Alabama elder law attorney you can have the peace of mind to ensure your lifetime of savings is protected from your long-term care needs.
When you locate, make an appointment and meet with an Alabama elder law attorney, how do you even begin the conversation? What should you talk about? Where should you start? In our firm we understand you questions because most of our clients have these same questions and we know that long-term planning can be complicated. We would like to share an end of the year long-term care planning checklist that you may use as you think about long-term care planning before the end of the year.
- Do you live at home?
- Do you have any mobility issues within your home?
- Do you believe that your home is equipped for you to age in place?
- Have you invested in a life alert or alarm system to assist you should you fall?
- Have you had any changes to your doctors or medications?
- Are your doctors still covered by your insurance?
- Do you have any new health care concerns that have arisen over the past year?
- Do you have a local support system? For instance, any family members, neighbors, friends or community organizations?
- How is your mental health?
- How collaborative is your family dynamic?
- Do you have an Alabama estate plan? Is it up to date?
- Do you live comfortably off your monthly income?
- Do you have long-term care insurance?
- If necessary, how long could you afford to pay for a nursing home out of pocket?
- Have you worked with an experienced Alabama elder law attorney to create a plan for long-term care?
Long-term planning may be difficult to think about, but it is critical. It can be framed in a way to plan for your future, as well as provide certainty, which is often missing in the aging process. When you plan for your long-term care, you can benefit from the peace of mind that comes with your planning.
We know this article may raise more questions than it answers. At the end of the day, estate planning and elder law planning are not just for you. Instead, it is for the ones you love most. If we can answer any questions for you on putting this estate planning in place, please do not hesitate to let us know. For more information, please reach out to our office and schedule a time to meet.