Power of attorney is one of the most important legal forms for estate and elder care planning. Along with wills and trust documents, it is a critical document for arranging one’s affairs.
If a person close to you has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it may be time to address some serious financial questions.
There is no clearly defined age when you become a senior citizen. Some people might consider themselves seniors when they retire from the workplace, sign up for Social Security or begin to spend their retirement savings, but others aren’t ready to call themselves a senior citizen yet.
Medicare is designed to help pay for healthcare costs for seniors once they turn 65. While it covers a number of healthcare expenses, it doesn’t apply to costs associated with long-term care in a nursing home.
When an individual cannot make important decisions for himself or herself, a judge appoints someone called the conservator or guardian to make decisions. The conservator has the legal backing of the court in all decisions, including finances, medical and personal care.
Steve Bing — who inherited $600 million from his real estate developer grandfather at the age of 18 — only had about $300,000 left to his name at his death, leaving him relatively broke.
As a result of illness, old age or incapacity, what may happen when you can no longer handle your own decision-making, handle your own money or make your own health care choices? Who can step in to help and how are they empowered?
Cindy, a widow in her early 60s, was undergoing physical therapy for an injury to her foot, making it difficult for her to get around. In addition, she was suffering depression brought on by the immobility and pain, resulting in her neglecting to pay bills and taking care of other financial affairs.
The availability of long-term care insurance policies is continuing to decline, even as the need for such care is growing, an interagency task force led by the Treasury Department has said.
Forty-one percent of participants in a new survey said they don’t trust assisted living communities and nursing homes to keep older adults safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.