Walnut Creek Elder Law Blog » mike

What Is The Difference Between Elder Law and Estate Planning?

mike — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:28:06 +0000

I practice Elder Law and represent the older client and their families. When clients come to see me, their concerns are not so much about what happens when they die, but more about ’What happens if they don’t die.’

Of course, they want to make sure that their assets pass to their family with a minimum of expenses and taxes. But the bigger and more complicated question is, “What happens if I don’t die?” As we know, Americans are living longer all the time. The infirmities of old age may require that we have in home care assistance, or go to an assisted living facility, board and care home or eventually a to a nursing home. We are of course concerned about how we pay for these costs. A regular estate plan does not address these needs. An elder law attorney can prepare a long term care plan for you, and address these needs. He will also address the concern of passing assets to their family.

To put it another way, a regular estate plan insures that if you die, your assets will be passed on to your family the way you want. The operative word is “if”. A regular estate plan will not help preserve assets so that hopefully there will be something left when you die to pass on to your family. As we know, the assets of the older client could be depleted by a nursing home stay or lengthy illness, which could leave their spouse or heirs with nothing.

If you have sufficient assets to pay for long-term care or nursing home costs without running out of funds, then a regualr estate planning attorney may be all you need. However, if you cannot afford the cost of a lenghty nursing home stay, of around $90,000 per year or $180,000 per year for a couple, or more, then an elder law attorney would be able to help you.

For a real life example, Mary and Jim have about $300,000 in assets and a home worth around $500,000. Jim needs assistance and uses a wheelchair. Mary has been providing for his care, but recently has shown signs of forgetfulness and confusion. She has been diagnosed by her doctor as having early signs of dementia.

An estate plan is of course important to Jim and Mary, but this won’t help them deal with the problems they are presently dealing with. They want to tackle the issue of how they will be able to afford the cost of nursing home care should either one or both of them need it. They want to establish how they will be taken care of should Mary’s dementia become more advanced. They want to find out if if they can stay in their home with assistance.

This couple needs a life plan, specific to them, to meet their needs for the future. Jim and Mary need to seek the advice of an elder law attorney.

Written Michael J. Young, elder law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA. www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com mike@WalnutCreekElderLaw.com. 1931 San Miguel Dr., Suite 220, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. 925-256-0298. Mr. Young serves Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, including the cities of Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, Concord, Brentwood, Pleasant Hill, Antioch, Clayton, etc. Mr. Young advises clients regarding Medi-Cal, nursing homes, asset protection, the VA Aid and attendance pension benefit, and long term care planning. Mr. Young is a Concord Elder Law Attorney with offices in Walnut Creek, CA.

Medi-Cal Qualification

mike — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:44:42 +0000

This is a brief list of exempt assets for Medi-Cal qualification. Your home is generally exempt, and you can take steps to protect your home from a Medi-Cal lien after your death. Your household goods and personal belongs are exempt. You can have an exemption for one car. Term life insurance policies are excluded, but you cannot have more than a total of $1500 cash value in the policies. You can keep your IRAs and other “qualified accounts.” You can only have $2,000 of non qualified assets.

This is a brief synopsis of exempt assets, and of course planning and applying for Medi-Cal is much more complicated than is presented here. In addition, if you are a wartime veteran or the surviving spouse of a wartime veteran, you should consider planning and possibly applying for the VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit. Planning for the VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit should be coordinated with your planning for Medi-Cal benefits. Your elder law attorney, who is also certified by the VA, can help you with planning for both benefits.

This blog is written by Michael J. Young, Elder Law Attorney, for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. You should consult an elder law, government benefits and asset protection attorney for your particular case, and before you proceed with any planning.

For additional information you can go to Mr. Young’s website at www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com . You can send an e-mail to Mr. Young at mike@WalnutCreekElderLaw.com. His address is 1931 San Miguel Dr., Suite 220, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. Phone: (925) 256-0298. Mr. Young has clients in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, including the cities of Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Antioch, Bay Point, Alamo, Danville, Clayton, etc. Mr. Young advises clients regarding Medi-Cal, nursing homes, asset protection, the VA Aid and attendance pension benefit, and long term care planning. Mr. Young is a member of NAELA.

Concord Elder Law Attorney

mike — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:25:13 +0000

Michael J. Young is an elder law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA who represents many clients from Concord and the surrounding areas. Mr. Young represents the older client and their families regarding asset protection, estate planning, long term care planning and government benefits planning. Mr. Young helps his clients and their families plan for and qualify for Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal helps pay the cost of skilled nursing facilities.

In addition elder law attorney Michael J. Young has clients in Concord, CA who are war time veterans or the surviving spouses of wartime veterans. The VA Aid & Attendance Improved Pension Benefit can help pay the costs of in home care, assisted living facilities and board and care homes for these clients. The single veteran can receive up to $19,736 per year and the surviving spouse can receive up to $12,681 per year for this benefit.

Both programs, Medi-Cal and the VA Aid and Attendance Improved Pension Benefit, are asset and needs based for qualification. As a result, qualification for these benefits is part of the elder care plan prepared by Mr. Young for the older client and their families. This planning may involve asset protection.

Mr. Young has written booklets entitled “The Alzheimer’s Legal Survival Kit” and “The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Veteran’s Benefits”. These booklets are available on Mr. Young’s website at http://WalnutCreekElderLaw.com.

For additional information, you may contact Mr. Young’s office at 925-256-0298, or e-mail to him at LawYoung1@Gmail.com.

This blog is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. You should consult an elder law, asset protection and government benefits planning attorney for your particular case, and before you proceed with any planning.

Elder Law is Alzheimer’s Planning

mike — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:43:24 +0000

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 5 million people in the U.S., and is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. today. This disease is expensive for the families of Alzheimer’s patients. And, it is the families who absorb much of the cost of care.

There are government resources available to help pay for the cost of care. The VA Aid & Attendance Improved Pension Benefit for wartime veterans and the surviving spouses of wartime veterans can be very helpful to pay for care. For the single veteran, the pension rate can be as much as $1,644 per month or $19,736 per year. For the surviving spouse, the pension rate can be as much as $1,056 per month, or $12,681 per year. This VA benefit can help pay for the costs of in home care, assisted living facilities and board and care homes.

Another government benefit is Medi-Cal, which can pay for skilled nursing facilities for the Alzheimer’s patient.

Qualification for both of these programs, the VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit and Medi-Cal, are asset and income based. Planning for these benefits can be done through your elder law attorney. You should pursue your long term care planning goals, including asset protection, through your elder law attorney as early in the process as possible.

Your elder law and asset protection attorney will update the estate planning documents of the Alzheimer’s patient, provided it is not too late, to include asset government benefits planning, and asset protection language. Thereafter, planning steps are made over time for asset protection and for qualification for these programs.

Michael J. Young, who is an elder law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA, helps many clients with Alzheimer’s disease, and their families, with Alzheimer’s Planning. Elder Law is Alzheimer’s Planning.

Mr. Young is an elder law attorney who represents clients in Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Brentwood, Antioch, Clayton, Danville, Alamo and surrounding areas.

Through proper planning from an elder law attorney, disease is not too far advanced, the

Michael J. Young is an elder law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA.

Antioch Elder Law Attorney

mike — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:35:49 +0000

Elder Law Attorney Michael J. Young practices in the areas of long term care planning, asset protection, government benefits planning and estate planning for the older client in Antioch and the surrounding areas. Mr. Young holds workshops regarding these topics on a regular basis. He is the author of the The Alzheimer’s Legal Survival Kit and The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Veteran’s Benefits. These and other publications and information regarding upcoming workshops are available through Mr. Young’s website at http://www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com.

Many of Mr. Young’s clients live in Antioch and wish to engage an elder law attorney to help them do their long term care planning for asset protection and government benefits planning such as for the VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit and Medi-Cal.

Medi-Cal pays for skilled nursing facility costs. The VA Aid & Attendance Improved Pension Benefit can help pay for in home care, assisted living facilities and the costs of board and care. If you are a wartime veteran, or the surviving spouse of a wartime veteran, over the age of 65 and may be in need of help with activities of daily living, you may want to plan for this little known benefit.

Planning for asset protection, Medi-Cal and the VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit usually begins with updating the estate planning documents, such as the revocable living trust and financial durable powers of attorney to include specialized planning language. The focus for this type of planning changes for the older client, to help make our assets last longer, and to create more options. An elder law attorney can help you with this important perspective. We don’t want to run out of money or options as we grow older. The focus on long term care planning changes from “What happens when we die” to “What happens if we don’t die.”

Mr. Young offers a free telephone consultation, and you may contact his office at 925-256-0298, and visit his website at www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com.

This information is not to be taken as legal advice, and you are encouraged to see an elder law attorney or senior law attorney for your particular situation.

Written Michael J. Young, lawyoung1@gmail.com, elder law attorney with offices in Walnut Creek, CA. www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com 1931 San Miguel Dr., Suite 220, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. 925-256-0298. Mr. Young serves Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, including the cities of Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, Concord, Brentwood, Pleasant Hill, Antioch, Clayton, etc.

Brentwood Elder Law Attorney

mike — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:23:49 +0000

Michael J. Young, elder law attorney, represents many older clients in Brentwood, CA. Mr. Young practices in the areas of estate planning, long term care planing, government benefits planning and asset protection. Author of The Alzheimer’s Legal Survival Kit and The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Veteran’s Benefits, Mr. Young helps his clients plan for the VA Aid & Attandance Pension Benefit for wartime veterans, and for Medi-Cal. Both of these publications are available through Mr. Young’s website at www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com The Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit, (A&A) can help pay the costs for in home care, assisted living facilities and board and care. Medi-Cal pays for skilled nursing costs. Both programs are income and needs based, and they have different rules for qualification, gifting and asset protection. As a result, for the veteran, both must be planned for at the same time. Mr. Young’s long term care planning and estate planning emphasizes not only on ‘what happens when you die’, but ‘what happens if you don’t die.’

For additional information, please feel free to contact Mr. Young’s office at 925-256-0298 and his website at www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com

This information is not to be taken as legal advice, and you are encouraged to see an elder law attorney for your particular situation.

Written Michael J. Young, lawyoung1@gmail.com, elder law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA. www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com mike@WalnutCreekElderLaw.com. 1931 San Miguel Dr., Suite 220, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. 925-256-0298. Mr. Young serves Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, including the cities of Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, Concord, Brentwood, Pleasant Hill, Antioch, Clayton, etc.

Life Expectancy and VA Aid & Attendance

mike — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:10:25 +0000

The VA Aid and Attendance Improved Pension Benefit can help pay for the costs of in home care, assistant living facilities and board and care homes for the older wartime veteran. A single veteran can receive up to $1,644 per month, or $19,736 per year. A widowed Spouse can receive up to $1,056 per month or $12,681 per year. This pension benefit is considered non service connected, meaning that you do not have to be suffering from a wartime injury to obtain the benefit.

This VA program is needs based, and your elder law attorney can help you qualify and apply for this VA benfit. When we plan for Aid & Attendance, we also plan for Medi-Cal qualification at the same time. The Medi-Cal qualification rules regarding gifting and transfer penalties must be taken into account when you plan for Aid & Attendance. If you do not do so, you may become qualified for Aid & Attendance, but disqualified for Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal pays for nursing home costs, which can run $7500 per month or more in Contra Costa County.

As part of the Aid & Attendance Improved Pension Benefit qualification, the VA now considers the veteran’s life expectancy in determining how much a claimant can retain in assets. If the veteran has over $50,000 in assets, not including the home, you may want to pursue transfers of assets and asset protection, and coordinate any such transfers with Medi-Cal transfer regulations. You should not transfer assets without the help of your elder law attorney, who is also certified by the VA.

This information is not to be taken as legal advice, and you are encouraged to see an elder law attorney for your particular situation.

Elder Abuse – Criminal and Civil – Red Flags

mike — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:27:12 +0000

In California, civil and criminal Elder Abuse Laws pertain to persons 65 years of age or older. Under the criminal statutes, elder abuse can occur when someone causes the elder to suffer mentally or physically. Under the civil statutes, abuse can mean neglect, causing financial abuse, abandonment, and physical harm or mental suffering. In addition, under the civil statutes, elder abuse can mean deprivation of care by the custodian of goods or services that the elder needs to avoid mental suffering or pain.

There are red flags to be on the outlook for regarding possible elder abuse, which many of us have seen. One red flag could be that the older person is not given the opportunity to speak for herself. Another red flag could be that the care giver or family member expresses anger toward the elder. A painful red flag is the isolation socially, of the older person. If you see signs of elder abuse, you should report it.

This information is not to be taken as legal advice, and you are encouraged to see an elder law attorney for your particular situation.

Alzheimer’s Planning – Long Term Relationship

mike — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:20:22 +0000

We do Alzheimer’s planning in our lawfirm. This type of long term care planning includes, in part, the preparation of estate planning documents. These specialized documents contain required, updated language for asset protection and government benefits planning regarding Medi-Cal and the VA Aid and Attendance Improved Pension Benefit. Part of the planning may also include asset protection of the home and monetary assets.

However, a big part of Alzheimer’s planning involves working with the family of the loved one who is afflicted with this disease. Alzheimer’s disease can last many years, and our relationship with the families we represent can be very long. As an example, my mother in law, who has Alzheimer’s disease, and who turns 90 next month, has been in a board and care facility for the last 10 years. Other than the disease, she is fairly healthy for a 90 year old. She does not recognize her three “girls”, but she is being well cared for.

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are treatments and services that will make life more bearable for the Alzheimer’s patient, and his or her family. We offer support for our clients and their families, regarding resources for care as part of the long term care planning. We also encourage our clients and their families to become knowledgeable about the disease. For additional information regarding Alzheimer’s planning, please feel free to contact our office.

This information is not to be taken as legal advice, and you are encouraged to see an elder law attorney for your particular situation.

Some Tips On Finding a Nursing Home

mike — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:48:39 +0000

When finding a nursing home for your loved one is necessary, it is important to decide what is important for him or her. Things such as location, religious orientation and access to hobbies should be considered. You should request brochures from several facilities you are interested in, and you should tour several of the the facilities. After you have narrowed your choices, plan on visiting the facilities during business hours, and during off hours. The atmosphere and staff may be quite different, and not what you expected during the off hours.

When you visit the facilities, pay attention to your instincts. Do you feel welcome? Did you have to wait to meet a representative? Did the representative seem genuinely interested in your particular situation? When visiting the facility, do not be afraid to ask as many questions as you can think of. If you are shy about asking questions, bring someone with you to encourage the questions, or they can ask the questions for you. Ask if the facility has survey results you can review, and ask if they have been prohibited from accepting new residents by the state at any time.

You will be under great stress at this time, so it is important that you take a deep breath and understand that there are positive things that you can do for your loved one. Also, do not neglect getting your ducks in a row through the help of an elder law attorney, regarding asset protection, estate planning, public benefits planning and long term care planning for your loved one.

This information is not to be taken as legal advice, and you are encouraged to see an elder law attorney for your particular situation.