Elder Law: Living Options
Today’s elderly and their families have more living options than ever before. As with all choices related to aging, these options need to be carefully considered with respect to the individual’s physical and mental health, ability to handle daily activities, personal preferences and finances.
Staying at Home/Aging in Place
In recent years, there has been an active movement to help individuals remain in their homes as they age. Entire industries have grown up around retrofitting homes to be aging friendly. In addition, home care and health care agencies — along with independent care management services — proliferate in urban communities where large aging populations are often concentrated. New York’s five boroughs — which include a substantial elder population — also possess some of the nation’s most active elder services.
Because of the growing needs of the elder population, Grimaldi & Yeung has made a commitment to care management. One of our partners — Judith Grimaldi — started her eldercare career as a social worker and community organizer in aging services. The Grimaldi & Yeung staff work with individuals and families cut through the tangle of service providers to:
- Identify and select appropriate community services and support organizations.
- Perform home assessments and help advise on ways to make your home more adaptable to your changing needs.
- Find appropriate home care services.
- Establish support structures for family member caregivers.
- Protect the value of your home and evaluate the financial and tax implications of remaining at home.
Assisted Living Facilities
Another relatively recent development in remaining independent is the availability of assisted living facilities. These allow people who are aging, frail or living with disabilities to live in a community setting. Each individual or couple has a private living space or apartment. Key life services — such as meals, housekeeping and medication management — are typically available. In addition, residents have access to planned social activities and sense of community.
The level of medical care available onsite varies greatly among facilities. Some facilities provide a continuum of care and are associated with home care and nursing services, hospitals and even nursing homes. Some have designated Alzheimer care units. Grimaldi & Yeung will help:
- Determine whether assisted living is the right option for you.
- Evaluate the financial implications and whether assisted living can be affordable.
- Identify reputable facilities that meet your needs.
- Pre-plan for increasing care needs and future options.
Contact Grimaldi & Yeung and we will send you a free booklet on assisted living.
Nursing Homes
The need for skilled nursing home care often develops as part of a medical crisis or at the end stage of a chronic long-term illness. An elderly person may experience a fall or suffer from the sudden onset of some other health problem, resulting in hospitalization.
Once the condition is stabilized, the individual will be discharged, often with just a few days’ notice. Frequently, these individuals are not yet ready to resume caring for themselves. When this happens, action must be swift and decisive and space in a nursing home must be found quickly. In other cases, when a family member has a chronic condition — such as Alzheimer’s disease — the decision process for seeking nursing home care can be slow and uncertain. The situation may deteriorate to the point of being unbearable before family members act and even then they may do so only reluctantly.
In most instances, family members need help in finding the right facility and arranging placement. The attorneys at Grimaldi & Yeung can help:
- Evaluate a nursing home or rehabilitation center’s track record and suitability for an individual.
- Accelerate acceptance into a facility.
- Establish relationships with doctors, case workers and other care providers to facilitate the transition.
- Identify facilities to match your available coverage and family resources.
- Explore the potential payment sources, including Medicare and Medicaid coverage.
- Prepare applications for government benefits to cover the cost of care.
- Minimize the cost of care through Medicare and Medicaid planning and tax considerations.
- Come to terms with the emotional and interpersonal issues associated with placing a loved one in a nursing facility.
Caregivers
Whether an individual lives at home or transitions to a group living facility, he or she often needs various types of protective health care. Initially, families and friends take on these tasks out of necessity, whether or not they are well-equipped to do so. When it is time to obtain assistance from others outside the family, such as professional home care services and social workers, Grimaldi & Yeung’s staff can work with you to:
- Assess the current family care plan and provide alternatives.
- Locate qualified professional home care services.
- Ease the burden on family member caregivers.
- Provide advice and support to family members entrusted with care responsibilities.
