Long-term care planning for the future is more than simply thinking about how you want your affairs wrapped up or who will take care of your children if you unexpectedly die. Just as you should plan for your eventual passing, the elder law attorneys at Berkley Oliver can help you plan for yourself, your family, and all of your interests as you age.
If you have not yet thought about how you will pay for healthcare services in your golden years or how to best protect your hard-earned assets, it is time to talk with an elder lawyer with Berkley Oliver. We will guide you through the important questions to help you safeguard what you have worked hard to build throughout your life.
Components of a Long-Term Care Plan
You may have given some thought to how you would like to spend your later years and what you want to pass on to your loved ones. However, if all you have done is think about these issues, your hopes and desires may not come to pass. You need the appropriate documents and tools in place to effectuate your wishes.
A knowledgeable Shelbyville estate planning lawyer can assist you in crafting your:
Asset Protection Plans
One of the primary goals of long-term care planning is to plan ahead for how you will pay for nursing care or home health care services without depleting your assets.
Medicaid can assist you in paying for these medical services, but Medicaid has stringent income requirements that must be met and may require you to exhaust your own resources before the program will pay for any services on your behalf.
Without appropriate planning and the creation of a specialized trust, you may be left nearly destitute before Medicaid will pay for your long-term care. At Berkley Oliver, our attorneys will show you how you can still qualify for Medicaid in your later years without sacrificing all you have worked to accumulate.
Advance Health Care Directive and Power of Attorney
If you were to suddenly become incapacitated in some way and unable to communicate with others, would your doctor know the type of medical care you would want to receive? If you do not have an advance health care directive and power of attorney, then:
- Your doctor may not know what treatments and therapies you object to
- Hospital emergency room workers may question whether you wish to be resuscitated
- A medical provider may have trouble determining to whom they should direct questions about your care
- A court may need to step in and decide who gets to make medical decisions on your behalf
Advance healthcare directives and a durable power of attorney for healthcare decisions (in Kentucky these are also called Healthcare Surrogate Designations) can remove significant confusion and turmoil during stressful medical events.
Benefits of Engaging in Long-Term Care Planning
Life is busy, and adding another task like talking to a lawyer about your care and the care of your property in your later years may seem like a hassle. Nonetheless, there are numerous benefits to long-term care planning for both you and your loved ones. These include:
Peace of Mind for Yourself
Once you have crafted a long-term care plan with the assistance of Berkley Oliver’s estate planning attorneys, you will rest easy knowing that the essential questions about how you will receive the care you want and need later in life are answered.
This peace of mind leaves you free to enjoy your golden years and make memories with your family, not fretting over what might happen when you need medical care or nursing home care.
Confidence in Your Family’s Future
Throughout your working years, you have labored to provide for your children and loved ones. Speaking with a long-term care planning lawyer can help safeguard your life’s work and the assets you have earned so that they will be available for you and your loved ones as you age.
You can be confident that you will be able to provide for your medical and other needs later in life while still allowing your loved ones to benefit from the fruits of your life’s work.
No Confusion During Stressful Times
Your medical team and loved ones will benefit from knowing how best to honor your wishes and desires during stressful times when you cannot express your wishes yourself. Rather than arguing over who will make decisions or running to the courthouse for legal authority, your family members can take decisive action on your behalf.
Contact Our Shelbyville Long-Term Care Planning Attorneys
No one can know exactly what the future holds. But with experienced guidance from the Shelbyville elder law lawyers at Berkley Oliver, you can chart a path through the uncertainty that will leave you and your loved ones protected and secure.
Our firm is committed to the local community in Shelbyville, Kentucky. We will devote our efforts to helping you and your family throughout your later years. Contact us today to get started with your long-term care plan.