Life Care Planning Takes Burden Off Family Members
Wesley E. Wright (Partner, Texas) and Molly Dear Abshire (Partner, Texas) recently published an article entitled, Planning For Illness and Death, Senior Living Section, Houston Chronicle. Provided below is their article:
Death isthe one indisputable life event we all must face. Yet, many of us are afraid to consider ourown demise. Either we believe we will liveforever, or we superstitiously think that talking about dying will trigger “TheEnd.”
Ambivalence to planning for sickness and dyingcould leave loved ones in a quandary when the inevitable time comes; the timewhen important, costly decisions must be made. Life care planning is an integrated way to prepare for all aspects ofthe inevitable.
Early inlife someone plans for us – our parents or guardians. Eventually we become responsible and take onthe planning process for ourselves, for things like college, careers, marriage,children, home purchases, etc.
Unfortunately,most of us do not contemplate planning for illness or death, one of thefundamental expenses of our lives.
Treating the end of life with disdain iscostly and difficult for grieving loved ones. Why not continue planning as youalways have?
Life careplanning not only involves elder law services such as estate planningdocuments, protecting assets and income, and public benefits eligibility. Itincludes provisions for care coordination, family education and decision-making,nursing home advocacy, ensuring appropriate care at home or in a facility,utilizing public and private sources of funds to pay health care costs.
A key toolin a life care plan is estate planning. Having a Will allows you to make decisions abouthow your estate should be handled while you are still able to do so.
Important ancillary documents that allow youto appoint an agent to make decisions about your financial property, yourhealthcare, whether or not you want to be kept alive on life support, who youwant to be your guardian if you become incapacitated and to disqualify a personfrom being serving in this position.
Long-termcare insurance, another aspect of life care planning, can be obtained prior to80 years of age but isn’t an option for people in bad health. Insurance for some or all of long term carecan make a significant difference in the quality of care one receives, whetherat home or a facility, as well as preserve assets and income.
Likewise,the sooner pre-need funeral contracts and burial spaces are purchased, the lesscost is incurred. Making the pre-needirrevocable is necessary when applying for public benefits like nursing homeMedicaid.
Though planningfor illness and death may seem a morbid exercise it is as necessary as planningto buy a home. Begin your life careplans by getting out and looking at places, considering what you might like ateach potential juncture, getting information on what each level of care costs,determining what you may and may not be able to afford, and putting your plansin writing. Learning how professionalslike an elder law attorney or financial planner may assist with creating yourlife care plan could reduce future costs and help keep you comfortable when theinevitable comes.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.