As life unfolds, many adults find themselves grappling with the immense challenges surrounding their aging parents. When a loved one faces incapacity due to illness, disease, or injury, decisions become paramount. These can range from determining the feasibility of at-home care to considering the transition of a parent into an assisted living facility.
The attorneys at Krugler Law stand ready to guide you seamlessly through these intricate decisions. Understanding the paramount importance of caregiver support during such trying times, we aim to be your pillar, alleviating the inevitable stress and overwhelming emotions associated with these roles. You’re not alone on this journey; Krugler Law is here to provide support and expertise.
Proactively Planning for Potential Incapacity
Facing personal incapacitation is a tough prospect, but with our guidance, you can be proactive. Together, we’ll create an estate plan that addresses possible incapacitation, ensuring your loved ones understand and respect your preferences.
By incorporating the following vital legal tools, your interests and wishes are safeguarded:
- Advance health care directive (provides the person you designate with the power to make medical decisions for you when you can no longer speak for yourself)
- Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST, which helps you decide with your doctor the treatments you do or do not want if you have a life-threatening illness)
- Will (outlined how you want your money and assets distributed to beneficiaries upon your death)
- Durable Power of Attorney for Finance (provides access for the person you choose to your checking, savings, and other bank accounts in order to pay your bills)
- Beneficiary forms (you can make bank accounts, insurance policies, and investment accounts ‘payable on death’ so that they can skip probate and go directly to your beneficiaries when you die)
- Trusts (this is a legal entity that holds your assets so they do not have to go through probate upon your death)
- Final arrangements (determine if you’d rather be buried or cremated and make sure your family members know these wishes)
Support Systems for Caregivers of Incapacitated Individuals
The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), initiated in 2000, offers:
- Comprehensive information to caregivers about available services.
- Assistance in accessing essential services.
- Individualized counseling, structured support groups, and focused caregiver training.Provisions for respite care.
- Supplemental services on a limited basis.
Following the 2016 Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, NFCSP services are extended to specific caregiver groups to ensure maximum support and assistance.
Contact Krugler Law
Should estate planning or preparing for potential incapacity be on your radar, trust the attorneys at Krugler Law. Contact us at (513) 916-1600 to schedule your personalized consultation. We’ll help you confidently navigate the complexities, ensuring your wishes remain clear and honored in any circumstance.