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What Does An Elder Law Attorney Do For You?

Like most things in life, elder law was born out of need. Now, it is an active legal specialty in the United States, and elder law attorneys provide legal assistance to millions of seniors across the country. According to a report from 2015, there are over 48 million people over the age of 65 in the country. This number is expected to rise to almost 100 million by 2060.

Unfortunately, with age comes a host of legal issues. Although the family can offer some assistance, an elder law attorney can offer professional assistance.

Elder attorneys in Hollywood can also help seniors and family caregivers explore healthcare options. An attorney can offer assistance and help you understand your current situation, what your options are and how you can solve your legal matters. Essentially, a good attorney can help you plan for the future, especially if a debilitating illness may necessitate long-term care.

Elder law attorneys are officially represented by their professional organization – The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. According to the organization, elder law attorneys are specialized in numerous areas, such as:

  • elder abuse and fraud
  • administration and management of trusts and estates
  • estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, and other financial or legal documents (such as elder care asset protection in Hollywood)
  • Medicare and social security filing, appeals, or claims
  • long-term care placements in care facilities, senior communities, and nursing homes
  • transfer/preservation of assets in order to avoid spousal impoverishment, when a spouse enters a nursing home

How can an elder attorney in Hollywood help you and your family? Here's a short guide:

#1 – Advise you

Families are often split about the type of care they want for their parents or grandparents. Also, seniors often have an opinion of their own, which has to be taken into consideration. In these scenarios, an elder law attorney can help you with professional advice. Together with the attorney, the family can review options, ask questions and gather more information about the types of care available in the area.

Usually, seniors will want to stay at home. This is normal, but sometimes it's not very feasible. Disabilities, chronic medical conditions, and other issues may make living at home impossible for seniors. In this situation, your attorney will recommend you the best strategies to implement to ensure that your parents and grandparents are protected.

#2 – Develop a long-term care plan

Elder attorneys in Hollywood have decades of experience in elder law and have seen almost every type of financial and medical situation that seniors may encounter. They know and understand the delicate aspects of these problems, and know how to deal with them. Also, they understand that many of these issues are long-term and can evolve rapidly. Long-term illnesses, like dementia or Alzheimer's, as well as chronic diseases are difficult to manage and need careful planning.

A good elder law attorney will help you create, develop and implement a long-term care plan for your parents or grandparents. The attorney will help you understand what type of assistance is needed for a senior who is staying at home or is admitted to a nursing home. An attorney will guide you through every step of the process and help you protect your interests.

#3 – An attorney will draft a durable power of attorney document

The power of attorney document is an important legal document that lets an appointed person make financial or medical decisions about your loved one if he or she becomes incapacitated. An elder law attorney can help you understand what the document is about, why it is important and how it can help you. A good elder law attorney will work together with you and your loved one to prepare the power of attorney documents.

If the senior is already incapacitated and there are no viable power of attorney documents, the attorney will have to start the guardianship proceedings. This procedure is similar to the power of attorney, but it starts immediately. A guardian will be named (preferably a member of the family) according to your preferences. This person will then be able to handle your loved one's personal and financial affairs.

#4 – Assistance with Medicaid and Medicare

canCertified elder law attorneys are familiar with the Medicaid and Medicare federal programs. They can provide legal assistance to beneficiaries and their families. For instance, an attorney can help you file your application, assist you if something goes wrong, file claims, or provide you extra information about the program. Similarly, you will get more information about veteran's benefits or additional government resources.

#5 – Protect your assets

Unfortunately, seniors are often victims of fraud or financial exploitation. Your elder law attorney can identify and alert family members, as well as the authorities, in case these problems occur. In many cases, these problems are very difficult to detect, especially as your parent’s health declines, and they are no longer able to take care of themselves. Common scenarios involve “helpful neighbors” who ask for money for certain services, unscrupulous persons who ask for personal or financial details to access accounts or online scams, and fraudulent behavior.

Protecting assets is a long-term activity, and you will need a professional to help you. A good elder law attorney can provide legal assistance, report criminal activity and advise the family on how to avoid future problems. Contact your elder law attorney to learn more about elder care asset protection in Hollywood.

#6 – Provide accurate answers

This is probably one of the most important aspects of working with a good elder law attorney. You and your loved ones will get accurate, reliable answers to your questions. You'll have a trustworthy professional by your side in case anything goes wrong. A good attorney is like your friend and can answer any question precisely, in any situation.

Click here to learn more about elder care asset protection in Hollywood.

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