Aging Parents

Have you discovered that when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, the emotional impact can be overwhelming? It is a time when families often focus on immediate care needs, but it is equally important to address long-term planning, particularly in terms of legal and financial matters. Unfortunately, without proper planning, the progression of Alzheimer’s can lead to complications that might make it difficult to carry out your loved one’s wishes. 

In Alabama, ensuring that your parents have a solid estate plan in place is a crucial step in safeguarding their future and easing the burden on the family. We know you may have questions and we want to share with you ideas for how you can approach this sensitive yet essential task.

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As we move into April, we enjoy the freshness of spring but we also think about important and fresh ideas of healthcare management for our aging parents. One of those fresh ideas is the management of the medications of our aging parents. National Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet Day  reminds us of the significance of medication management. However, this observance is more than just a reminder to clean out the medicine cabinet of our aging parents; it shines a light on a concern that may signify deeper issues in the care and well-being of our aging parents.

Are you a senior living in your own home in Alabama? Should you consider a medical alert system? As a senior are you concerned about health-related emergencies, especially a fall? Then a medical alert system could play a crucial role in providing emergency assistance and perhaps even save your life. Be aware that these life-saving technologies usually involve tools such as a wearable pendant, lanyard, bracelet, or phone app and include an emergency call button. 

So how do these medical alert systems protect Alabama seniors who choose to use them?  The alert device that the medical alert system provides can, when activated during a health crisis, send a signal for immediate medical assistance. Depending on the system, it can:

• Automatically contact 911,

• Connect the senior with a live agent from a care control center through a two-way intercom, and 

• Respond with a swift and appropriate response.

Is there anything more that can be included? In most circumstances, the answer is “yes.

Did you know that the majority of Americans, even those with large assets, fail to take the critical steps needed in order to plan for what comes next in the event of their incapacity or death? It is very important to create a legacy that will protect the wealth you have amassed for yourself and your loved ones. When you work with an experienced Alabama estate planning attorney, he can show you the value in designing the legacy you want to create for both future generations and what you care for most.

In addition, your experienced Alabama estate planning attorney can advise you on the strategies for generational wealth transfers in your Alabama estate plan. Transferring generational wealth in an Alabama estate plan refers to the process of legally and strategically passing on assets, investments, properties, and other forms of wealth from one generation to the next within a family. These are strategies that not all Alabama estate planning firms specialize in as they involve strategically planning for not only the here and now, but require the firm to keep a careful watch on the laws and tax rules that could unravel the estate planning that has been carefully created.

Do you currently have an Alabama estate plan? When was it created? Has it been updated recently? What planning tools are included within it? And, perhaps even more importantly, does your Alabama estate plan reflect your current needs, values, family, and the legacy you want to leave at the time of your passing?

In our years of experience, the majority of the clients we work with understand the importance of creating an Alabama estate plan. Our clients want to proactively decide what should happen in a time of sudden crisis or death, and they do not want to leave their wishes either to chance or the Alabama state mandated process. Unfortunately, though, they do not keep in mind the upkeep a comprehensive Alabama estate plan requires. Your Alabama estate plan is a critical part of not only your estate, but your overall health and well being. With that said, your Alabama estate plan should not be left unattended and, instead, be reviewed at least every three years, if not every year, to make sure it will still work the way you need it to.
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Are you looking for ways to help the seniors in your family, neighborhood and community? Did you know that May is National Older Americans Month?  In fact, this celebration of our Older Americans is to encourage communities, families and loved ones to get involved in learning about the issues that our Older Americans face as they age. Do you have senior loved ones in your family? Do you have neighbors who are seniors? This month think about how you could help the Older Americans in your life by using the ideas below.

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Are you aware that today there is a question of whether children will need to pay an aging Alabama parent’s nursing home bill? The concept of parents being held legally responsible for the action and debts of their minor children is taken for granted, but did you think that there would ever be the possibility of adult children being responsible for the debts of their parents? Almost half of the states in the U.S. have filial responsibility laws, which can create a legal obligation of adult children for their parents.
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Are you planning to visit your parents during the holidays?  Are you hoping to discuss long-term care planning with them?  What exactly is long-term care planning?  The National Institute on Aging defines long-term care planning as steps to meet a person’s health or personal care needs during a long or short period of time. With the help of these services, people may be able to live as independently and safely as possible even though they can no longer perform everyday activities on their own.