Many times, an elderly person ends up in a long-term care facility because of an illness, fall or rapid decline in health. The sad fact is that family members must often make hasty decisions at that time, and those decisions may not be the ones the ailing person would...
Elder law: How responsible are you for your aging parents?
Adult children who have aging parents may benefit from knowing something about the laws that govern the elderly. Elder law in Colorado can be complex, especially when it speaks to long-term care plans and how involved adult children should or need to be when it comes...
Can an irrevocable trust help you qualify for Medicaid?
People in Woodland Park may be planning on utilizing Medicaid to pay for nursing home care in their old age. However, in order to qualify for Medicaid, a person can only have a low threshold of assets -- $2,000 in countable assets in 2020 and less than $2,349 in...
What is the Medicaid look-back period?
One of the biggest concerns that senior citizens in Colorado have is how they will afford to pay for a nursing home or long-term care as they start to require some assistance with basic living tasks that they used to be able to do for themselves. After all, no matter...
Long-term care planning is vital
Long-term care in Colorado is not a luxury because it will be needed by an estimated 70 percent of people over 65-years-old. Families must prepare for paying for nursing home or in-home care as part of their long-term planning. Inability to undertake daily activities...
Long-term care expenses are in our future
A person turning 65 today has a 70% chance of needing long-term care services. With insurance premiums escalating and paying for nursing home and other care becoming more challenging, experts recommend financial planning. This should start when people are in their...
What is the Older Americans Act?
In many cultures, older individuals are viewed as wise elders who are sought out as important resources regarding the communities' history and practices. They are a significant part of their cultural groups and provide wisdom to those who plan to take the reins of...
The role of advance directives in long-term care planning
Most people enjoy the autonomy of making decisions for themselves. They may take pleasure in choosing their own homes, associating with the people they enjoy, and working in careers where they feel successful and valued. The right to live one's life as they see fit is...
Eulogy for My Mother
My mother died on Sunday, the 9th of September. She was almost 88 years old. She and my father had been married for nearly 67 years at the time of her death. She was the last of her immediate family to die, and she was proceeded in death by her parents and her two...
A living will may be part of a Colorado resident’s aging plan
Wills are testamentary documents that do not become relevant until the individuals who created them pass away. In a will a person may describe how they want their heirs to benefit from the decedent's end-of-life wealth and how their property should be disposed of....