AL Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog

Do you have a loved one recently diagnosed with dementia? Are you caring for your loved one in your home? Did you know that one of the most challenging aspects of witnessing a loved one struggle with dementia may be the sadness and confusion your loved one experiences? In fact, often your loved one may exhibit his or her sadness and confusion through angry outbursts and belligerence.

Have you just completed your Alabama estate plan? Are you confident that when you pass away your estate will not have to go through the probate? It is excellent that you have an Alabama last will and testament. However, the fact that you have a will does not, by itself, allow your estate to avoid probate. This is one mistake we see in our office when the probate process is misunderstood. 

Have you ever had to respond to a health care emergency involving a senior loved one? During the COVID-19 crisis many families were forced to confront these emergencies. Sadly, the pandemic has hit elder adults disproportionately harder than the rest of society. Too late families realized they lacked the basic health care documents needed to act effectively on the behalf of their senior loved ones.

Are you and your loved ones in the process of looking for a skilled nursing home? We know this is a difficult decision. How do you choose the right nursing home? What are the hurdles that you and your loved ones will face? How do you plan ahead so that the needs of your loved ones can be met by the facility, both now and in the future? 

Have you and your aging parents thought about what might happen if one or both were to need nursing home care? Do you and your parents have concerns over the possible expense of a nursing home? Are you and your parents also concerned that after a lifetime of working hard and saving it may all have to be spent on a nursing home? As we celebrate National Elder Law Month during the month of May, the topic of our aging seniors paying for nursing home care comes to the forefront of our minds in our law office, as we think of ways to help our clients, their loved ones, and our community.

Do you enjoy do-it-yourself projects? Are you contemplating a new project of do-it-yourself estate planning?  Do you believe that it is probably better to DIY an estate plan than to not have an estate plan at all? Unfortunately, this may not be true. By writing your own estate plan, without seeking counsel from a qualified Alabama estate planning attorney, you may run into a lot of issues in the future.

Are you, your family and your friends caring for a loved one who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease?  Right now are you, your family and friends providing the kind of constant, consistent care that your loved one with Parkinson’s needs?  In the future, however, you may find it necessary to consider a nursing home if your family and friends can no longer safely take care of your loved one.  Are you concerned about how to find and pay for the necessary long-term care as your loved one’s condition changes? 

Do you have a disabled loved one in your family? Are you caring for your loved one? As an Alabama estate planning and elder law attorney, my firm knows just how challenging it can be to ensure that your loved one is protected on a daily basis. In addition, when you add to these lifetime caregiving needs by beginning to think about a future that may not include you, we understand if you not only face decision paralysis but fear of the unknown. 

Are you a senior living in Alabama and enjoying retirement?  Have you thought about what you would do if you needed long-term care? Or perhaps you have not even thought about long-term care at all.  Because you are over 65 and have Medicare as your health insurance you may be thinking that Medicare will take care of any long-term care costs. Also, you may have family members or friends that you are planning to depend on if and when the need for long-term care arises. We would like to take this time and discuss with you more about planning for long-term care in our state of Alabama.