“I’m never going into a nursing home.” “I’m never putting my mom in a nursing home.” “Please don’t let them put me in a nursing home.” These are the things I often here from my clients or their family members. As someone starts to falter, they fear ending up in a nursing home or fear having to “put” their family member there. I always try to assure them that there is a large spectrum of options that ranges from “living alone at home” to “nursing home.” These options include:
- Hiring assistance at home with meals, errands and housework so you or your loved one stays nourished, has a safe environment and has human companionship.
- Hiring medical assistance at home to help with things like bathing and dressing for a few hours a day.
- Spending some time each day at an adult day center, which can be especially good for people with dementia (and those who love them and need respite care.)
- Hiring more full time medical care at home to help with a chronic illness.
- Moving in with a family member or having a family member move in with you.
- Having a live-in companion to provide medical assistance as well as housekeeping and meal preparation duties.
- Moving to an assisted living community.
- Hiring additional care givers in the assisted living community.
- Short term rehabilitation stays in a nursing facility.
- Skilled nursing care facility (nursing home.)
As you can see, there are many options for living and care for people as they age. There are also usually a few options for payment of these services, whether it is privately paid, paid through a long term care insurance policy or paid through a public program such as Medicaid. The important thing is to explore your options before you need them, so that you and your family know what is out there and what would suit you best.
Take some time this coming weekend to review your estate plan documents and other financial papers (set aside an hour, and give yourself a reward afterward!)
Here are the key things to review:
Has your financial situation changes dramatically since the last time you had your Wills or Trust drafted?
Have any of the people you named as [...]
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I often write about how to choose guardians for your children, and how to talk to the prospective guardians, but what do you do if your friends or siblings ask you to be named guardian of their children? First, thank them for thinking of you and them let them know that you want to give [...]
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When my father moved out of our childhood home to his cabin in Maine, I became the custodian of the family papers and mementos. As I sorted through things, I was able to ask him “What is this from?” “Who gave you this?” “What is this?” He would explain to me what each thing was, [...]
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Does your family actually need your email account passwords? Think before you pass these on. Your email box will contain things that people sent to you, that they meant for your eyes only. This could be things from your friends or other family members that they wanted kept private. Passing on your email address passwords [...]
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If you are managing money for someone else, whether as a trustee, conservator or executor it is very important to keep good records. You may be held accountable to the Court or other interested parties for the work you are doing and your job will be easier if you have good records. In addition to [...]
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Whether you are trying to keep your toddlers safe at home, or preparing for a visit from your 95 year old grandmother, the techniques to keep both age groups safe and happy are similar.
Keep walkways clear of snow, leaves, rocks, toys, etc. Little legs that are just learning to walk can trip and fall. And [...]
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I often ask my happy, healthy older clients what their secret is.
Do you know what the answer most often is? Walking.
It’s true: my clients who remain healthy and active (and at home) the longest are those who have a regular, daily habit of walking. Some of them walk around the block a few times a [...]
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Once you have narrowed down your choices for a prospective guardian to take care of your children if something happened to both parents, it’s important to talk to those people to make sure they want to serve, and understand what it means.
Some of the things you will want to talk about:
Whether the prospective guardians want [...]
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When thinking about pursuing guardianship over a family member with special needs who is unable to care for themselves, many families wonder whether they should appoint co-guardians, so that there is someone in place if something happens to one of the guardians.
Here are some of the benefits to having co-guardians:
Someone is available if a guardian [...]
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Leanna Hamill, Attorney at Law, P.C. provides estate planning and related legal services to clients of all ages, with a focus on the needs of older individuals and their families.
