Categories: Probate
      Date: May 15, 2009
     Title: Elder Law Month

May is celebrated as Elder Law Month throughout the nation. The celebration is aimed towards appreciating those people that are involved in all facets of enhancing the quality of life of the elderly and their families.

The relatively new area of law, known as {cms_selflink page="ElderLaw" text="elder law"}, concentrates on life plans designed to meet the diverse needs of aged persons and their loved ones. For example, who will take care of a person if he or she needs assistance? How will a person pay for his or her stay in a long-term care facility if the need arises? Once lifetime needs such as this are addressed, often the elder law attorney also creates the traditional estate plan for post-mortem disposition of assets.

Typically, elders, their families, and friends will first seek an elder law attorney because of a concern that has recently arisen. Perhaps a health issue has developed such as a mother continuing to fall or a husband having multiple strokes. Maybe someone has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers and the accompanying issues with that diagnosis need to be confronted.

The elder law attorney is often the quarterback that will lead a team of specialists to assist families with their needs. For instance, the elder law attorney may recommend a financial advisor to assist a couple in managing their assets in a way that will anticipate the potential cost of home health care needs. At other times, the elder law attorney will recommend to the family that a geriatric care manager be consulted to determine the care needs of a loved one.

To a large degree, elder law involves elements of social work. An {cms_selflink page="ElderLaw" text="elder law"} attorney attempts to ease the pain of the client and the family while also informing them of the possible options, programs, and benefits that may be available. Quite often, the elder law attorney will reach out to social workers and those in that line of work to enhance his or her understanding of various issues and potential solutions.

{cms_selflink page="ElderLaw" text="Elder law attorneys"} desire to have the client and his or her family comforted from the initial consultation until long after the representation. While I encourage all people to see an elder law attorney sooner rather than waiting for a crisis to develop, the elder law attorney representation all too often occurs on a crisis basis. Regardless of the circumstance, if the elder law attorney can give solace to the client and family in a time of great need, then he or she has performed an invaluable service.