Dedicated Guidance Through Long-Term Care Planning
Long-term care planning can mean different things to different people. For many, long-term care planning means taking steps to qualify for Medicaid (known as MassHealth in Massachusetts) without depleting the assets they have earned over a lifetime. For others, long-term care planning means ensuring that their loved ones understand their wishes if they become incapacitated. In these situations and others, it is crucial to speak with experienced legal counsel.
A knowledgeable and experienced lawyer can help you develop appropriate and effective plans and documents to achieve these goals. At Stern, Keilty & Wall, LLC, our attorneys have helped people across Eastern Massachusetts and beyond with long-term care and disability planning strategies.
Helping Families Plan For And Respond To Worst-Case Scenarios
Nursing home expenses can drain a family’s finances within a relatively short period of time. Nursing home care can cost in excess of $10,000 each month. It is often not necessary to deplete all of your assets before qualifying for Medicaid. Under the current regulatory framework, certain assets can be protected even in a crisis situation. Our Salem long-term care planning attorneys provide families with the best strategies available for managing properties and assets, minimizing taxes and maximizing inheritance for loved ones.
Planning For Disability Or Incapacity
A parent’s or spouse’s sudden or gradual incapacity can throw a family into turmoil. If you want to plan for this situation for your family, our attorneys are ready to prepare a broad spectrum of documents that can leave no doubt as to your wishes. These documents include:
- Durable power of attorney: A durable power of attorney enables each of us to give a trusted individual the legally recognized ability to manage finances in the event of incapacity.
- Health care proxy: A health care proxy enables each of us to give a trusted individual the legally recognized ability to make decisions about medical care, including end-of-life treatment, in the event of incapacity.
- HIPAA release: Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), health care providers and insurers are barred from sharing information about an individual’s health. Our law firm can prepare a HIPAA designation of agent that will enable health care providers to share this information with trusted individuals.
These documents work together to make your wishes clear should you become incapacitated and unable to competently express your wishes. With these documents in place, your family may be able to avoid the cost and hassle of having to seek court appointment of a guardian or conservator.
Contact Stern, Keilty & Wall, LLC
At Stern, Keilty & Wall, LLC, we offer a blend of estate planning, elder law, disability law, real estate law, and estate administration that provides support and counsel to clients along the continuum of lifetime planning.
We are located in historic Downtown Salem. Call 978-219-9932 or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation. We offer evening and weekend appointments by request. We can also arrange off-site appointments for those unable to travel or in emergency situations.