Elder Care Attorneys

Elder Law is one of the fastest growing areas of law.  With 80 million baby boomers entering their "golden years", there are many people wondering what they are going to do when they are no longer able to care for themselves.  Elder Law  involves planning for the complex health care, long term care, and other issues facing elderly and disabled clients and their families.  Elder Law is the only area of law defined by the clients they serve. Seeing an elder law attorney is appropriate for any person who is concerned about long term care, either directly or for an elderly or disabled family member.

Senior citizens have unique legal problems as a result of the aging process.  They face concerns about their finances, their health and their living arrangements.  Elder law attorneys take a holistic approach with their clients.  They handle general estate planning issues, they offer counsel about planning for incapacity, and in planning for possible long-term care needs, including home care and Medicaid, as well as family dynamics, end-of-life decisions and personal values and preferences.

Elder law attorneys are concerned with problems unique to the elderly, and they work as their advocate.  They are dedicated to ensure quality legal service for the elderly and to advocate for their rights.  The needs of the elderly extend beyond their legal problems.  The clients may be frail or ill and require home health care or replacement in an institutional facility.  The clients may be well, but fearful that future illness may deplete financial resources, and thus may need to consider a long-term care insurance policy.  If a client is a caretaker and is overwhelmed with the demands of a caring for a person who is suffering from a form of dementia, the client may need other support services.  

Meeting the needs of the client depends on moving beyond conventional legal work to offering practical assistance.  Often times the attorney is the right person to provide information about home care, nursing homes, special geriatric health programs, adult day care and respite care.

The following is a sampling of areas in which an Elder law attorney can offer assistance:

  • Long term care and disability planning
  • Pre-Mortem legal planning including wills and trusts
  • Advice on public benefits.  Including social security, veterans benefits and Medicare and Medicaid applications and appeals
  • Health care, estate and retirement planning
  • Gift, income, and estate taxation issues
  • Charitable giving 
  • Patients rights 
  • Insurance assessment
  • Planning long term care
  • Pre-marital planning
  • Long-term care planning at separation or divorce
  • Age and/or Disability Discrimination Counseling
  • Litigation

 

Elder Care Law and Links

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. is a non-profit association which assists lawyers, bar organizations and others who work with older clients and their families. Established in 1987, the Academy provides a resource of information, education, networking and assistance to those who must deal with the many specialized issues involved with legal services to the elderly and disabled.

Senior Law
SeniorLaw provides information for Seniors, their advocates & other professionals. Our Resource Page, Elder Law & Legal Resources on the Web links to resources on Elder Law, Elder Care, Government Agencies, Searchable Statutes and Court Decisions, and lots more. Some of it is technical information, but much of it is not.

National Senior Citizens Law Center
The National Senior Citizens Law Center advocates nationwide to promote the independence and well-being of low-income elderly individuals, as well as persons with disabilities, with particular emphasis on women and racial and ethnic minorities.

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