If your family is facing the need for long term care at home, or the immediate crisis of a nursing home placement, one of the first things that comes to mind, is do you need an elder law attorney. The variety of programs for homecare and the qualifications to receive Federal, State, or veteran benefits, often results in a jig saw puzzle that leads to confusion and frustration. A true elder law attorney will devote most or all his practice to elder law issues, and will have staff that understands the problems faced by families, and the solutions. So how can you select a competent elder law attorney?

No, not the fast food kind. Do you have kids in college or just out and parents in their 70’s or older? Are you working all day to pay off those college loans and stopping at your parents’ on your way home to make sure they have taken their medications and paid their bills? Are you getting phone calls from mom at work, at home, and driving in between? Is it difficult balancing career, kids, spouse, and parents?

When faced with the difficult choice of  how to choose a nursing home to place a loved one in, you want to ensure the care meets the needs of both your loved one and the family.  This can often be an agonizing choice as everyone’s preference would be to avoid a skilled nursing facility.  But if the choice is inevitable, here are some factors to consider.

If you are veteran who needs care to help you stay at home, you may very well be qualified for up to $1949 can qualify for up to $998 a month.  So why don’t most veterans ever receive these funds?  Very simply, they don’t know about this benefit.

Many of us are worried about putting on weight.  But when it comes to our dear parents in their later years, losing weight can be a very significant problem.  Exhorting them to eat more will have about the same effect as when they told you to eat your lima beans when you were a kid. Ugh!

Many elderly persons rely entirely on their children, family members or other trusted individuals to help them.  This dependence makes an older person more vulnerable to abuse and financial exploitation.  Legal arrangements and protective actions by family may be necessary to shield loved ones from making bad decisions or from being taken advantage of.