A large portion of our practice is dedicated to helping people who are caring for minor kids and aging parents at the same time navigate their way through the difficult legal and financial challenges that they face.

Figuring out how to plan ahead for long-term care for an aging parent is usually the greatest burden; when the time comes that mom or dad can no longer live alone or handle the tasks of everyday living, huge decisions will need to be made. Perhaps that means mom or dad moves in with the family, or they may decide to bring in home health care. If there are greater care needs, a move to an assisted living community or nuring home may be a better fit.

Dealing with all of these issues is undoubtedly more challenging due to the current COVID crisis. Many long-term care resources are now difficult to access, and families are choosing to forgo nursing home care as long as possible until the current outbreak at such facilities are under control. That means the family may be forced to explore options that were not previously on the table while attempting to answer the question, "How do we pay for it all?"

Regardless of the path the family chooses, it's important to remember that most long-term care services are not covered under private health insurance or Medicare. And, unfortunately, quality senior communities often have waitlists and huge price tags. What often happens is that the adult children are often forced to provide care themselves and pay for costs out of pocket until a solution is found, which straps the whole family financially and puts enormous stress on "Sandwichers," who have their own minor children to take care of.

If you find yourself in this situation today, we want you to know that we are here for you. As we mentioned, our entire practice is focused on serving those in the "Sandwich Generation," and we have strategies that can help you secure the care and resources you need with the least amount of stress and anxiety as possible. We may also be able to help your parents:

  • Reallocate their assets so they can qualify for Medi-Cal, which is a needs-based program that does cover long-term care costs;
  • Utilize legal tools like Irrevocable Trusts (Medi-Cal Asset Protection Trust) to help your parents avoid going broke in a nursing home; or
  • Put documents in place like a Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directives that will make managing your parents' finances and medical care much easier, as you'll be able to legally communicate with doctors and financial institutions without violating privacy laws.

But we don't stop there. We offer a cutting edge service, Life Care Planning that will help the family with:

  • Care Coordination, which includes locating in-home help and services, coordinating health care and long-term care, family education, and decision-making support -- for the rest of your loved one's life.
  • Patient Advocacy and crisis intervention to help you get the highest quality of care for your loved one in every long-term care setting.

The benefits for the family include:

  • The right care sooner
  • Preservation of independence for as long as possible
  • The ability to age with dignity

Peace of mind -- for the elderly and their families is the goal of every Life Care Plan.

If you need help exploring your options and navigating some of the new roadblocks that now exist because of COVID-19, please contact our office to set up a consultation. We can talk about your specific situation and work to craft a plan that meets the needs of your family and those of your aging parents. Call us at (818) 292-8160 or email us via the "Contact Us" box below. We can arrange an in-person meeting or video conference via Zoom.

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