Why You Need an Elder Care AttorneyMarch 8, 2023As we age, we constantly make decisions about our healthcare, finances, and overall well-being. But, all of these decisions have legal considerations. Seniors and their families must have legal support to navigate this complex landscape. Elder care attorneys specialize in addressing the unique legal needs of seniors. This article will explore why elder care attorneys are a valuable resource, how to choose the right one, and the services they can provide to your senior loved one.Why You Need a Florida Elder Care AttorneyElder care attorneys know all the legal needs of seniors.  They can provide a wealth of knowledge and resources to help seniors navigate the legal complexities of aging. They are familiar with the legal needs of seniors who want to age in place and those who choose to move to an assisted living community. With an elder care attorney on your side, you have a trusted advisor who can help you make informed decisions about your senior loved one's healthcare, finances, and other vital aspects of their life.Estate PlanningOne of the primary reasons seniors need an elder care attorney is to help with estate planning. Estate planning involves creating a plan for your assets in the event of your death or incapacity. An elder care attorney can help you develop a comprehensive estate plan that considers your wishes, family dynamics, and legal or tax considerations.Long-Term CareAnother key area where an elder care attorney can provide support is developing a long-term care plan. As we age, the likelihood of needing long-term care increases. A Florida elder care attorney can help you evaluate your options, such as self-funding, Medicaid, or long-term care insurance. Your attorney will develop a plan to meet your needs and protect your assets.Protection Against Financial AbuseNationwide, seniors are the target of financial thieves and con artists. One in five seniors over 70 will be exploited for an average of $17,500. If the senior knows the scammer, the cost is $50,000. Having an elder care attorney can help protect you and your family.Florida is serious about protecting its senior citizens and established the Department of Elder Affairs to protect seniors from physical or financial abuse or exploitation. If you suspect any senior abuse or exploitation, call their hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873).An elder care attorney can help establish safeguards to protect your assets and ensure your financial well-being.How Do I Choose an Elder Care Attorney?Choosing the right elder care attorney is an important decision, and there are several factors to consider.Credentials: Only attorneys licensed with the Florida Bar Association can practice law in Florida. Make sure your attorney has a current license. The Florida Bar also allows you to see their disciplinary record for the past 10 years.Specialization: Look for an attorney who is a member of an elder law group like the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). This professional association requires members to meet rigorous education, experience, and continuing education standards.Experience: Look for an attorney with experience in elder law. This area of law is complex and constantly evolving, so it is important to choose someone who deeply understands the issues facing seniors.Communication: Look for an attorney who is a good communicator and takes the time to understand your needs and concerns. You want someone responsive and attentive to your questions and concerns.Fees: Make sure you understand the attorney's fee structure and what services are included. You want to avoid surprises down the road, so knowing what you are paying for is important.What Can an Elder Care Attorney Do for Me?Now that we've explored why seniors need an elder care attorney and how to choose the right one, let's take a closer look at the services they can provide. Here are a few critical areas where an elder care attorney can support you and your senior loved ones.Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, and POAEstate planning is a critical component of preparing for the future. It ensures that your wishes are fulfilled when you are no longer here. An elder care attorney can help you create a comprehensive estate plan that considers your wishes, family dynamics, and legal or tax considerations. This includes creating the proper legal documents, including a will and a trust, and appointing a power of attorney to make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. In Florida, a health care power of attorney is an advance directive in which you name a person to make decisions for you when you cannot do so. The document is called a Health Care Advance Directive.Developing a Plan for Long-Term CareThe best time to plan for our later senior years is before we get there. An elder care attorney can help you evaluate your options, such as self-funding, Medicaid, or long-term care insurance, and develop a plan that meets your needs and protects your assets. They can also advise you on structuring your assets and income to qualify for Medicaid benefits if necessary.Helping with Access to MedicaidMedicaid is a federal and state-funded program that provides healthcare coverage to low-income individuals, including seniors who need long-term care. However, qualifying for Medicaid can be a complex process. An elder care attorney can help you navigate the eligibility requirements and apply for benefits.Applying for Veteran's BenefitsFlorida senior veterans and their spouses may be eligible for various benefits, including healthcare, disability compensation, and pension benefits. A Florida elder care attorney can determine if you qualify for any benefits and how to access them.Protecting from Financial ExploitationScammers and other unscrupulous individuals often target seniors to exploit their vulnerability. An elder care attorney can help put safeguards in place to protect your assets and ensure your financial well-being. This may include creating a trust or appointing a guardian to oversee and protect your finances.Setting Up a Living TrustA living trust is a legal arrangement that allows you to transfer assets to a trustee who manages them on your behalf. A living trust can help you avoid probate, minimize estate taxes, and protect your privacy. An elder care attorney can help you create a living trust that meets your needs and provides for your loved ones.Summary: The Importance of a Florida Elder Care AttorneyKeeping our senior loved ones protected as they age is one of the essential loving things we can do. To most people, that means providing their seniors with the best care, living conditions, and quality of life.But it also means ensuring they are protected legally in all aspects of their lives. And this often calls for an elder care attorney who is an expert in all senior legal issues.The time to get all your senior's legal documents in order is before you need them. This is especially true with health care advance directives, powers of attorney, will, and trusts.Let us help.We will work with you to find the best home care help or assisted living community for their needs. We work with hospitals, care facilities, home health care, senior living communities, and elder care attorneys daily. We are a Florida-based company with expert knowledge of the Florida senior market. We know how to help with the move to assisted living while ensuring a smooth transition into the new community.While senior options can seem confusing, this is all we do. Florida Senior Consulting helps seniors decide their next best steps so they can live their best lives safely and securely.We have certified staff, licensed nurse advocates, and decades of experience in the field.Senior living should be on your terms, and the choice should always be yours.Call us, and we will answer all your questions and help you decide what is best for you or your senior loved one.For peace of mind, call us at (941) 661-6196 or visit FloridaSeniorConsulting.com.

LiveWellColorado is an inviting gathering place guests look forward to visiting. Our 16,000 square-foot center provides a safe, secure, bright and lively facility for all our guests. Adults with physical, developmental, cognitive and intellectual impairments. Includes those with Parkinsons, Alzheimers, stroke, brain injury and mobility issues. Seniors requiring supervised assistance with Activities of Daily Living Veterans Adults with memory care needsProfessional, trained staff supervise a rich offering of services, amenities and activities. We offer transportation to and from the LiveWellColorado center, and fresh breakfast, lunch and snack daily. On-site nursing staff, and health and social services counselors, coordinate to ensure that every guest has a positive and fulfilling experience.Making a difference each dayLife lived well, one day at a time.It would be difficult to imagine life without good friends and loving people that care about us. At LiveWellColorado, every effort, every program, every moment is approached with this idea in mind.LiveWell Adult Day Services provides guests a safe, comfortable environment to spend time and have fun with friends old and new, with a variety of events, activities and amenities to satisfy even the most active and outgoing individual.Our care providersLiveWell care providers love what they do. Thats what makes them so special.Whether its our shuttle operators assistance to and from our facility, one of our nurses ensuring guests take prescribed medications, or food service personnel preparing and serving healthy, flavorful meals and snacks, every LiveWell staff member is dedicated to making each day one to remember for our guests. And dont be surprised to be challenged by a team member to a spirited game of cards, billiards or trivia. We like having fun as much as the next person! To learn more about LiveWell Colorado please call 303-200-5050.

 Elder Fraud and Scams: A Growing Problem and How to Protect YourselfAs our population ages, elder fraud and scams have become an increasingly serious problem. Seniors are often targeted by scammers because they are seen as vulnerable and more trusting, making them easy targets for fraudsters who prey on their emotions and vulnerabilities. Elder fraud and scams can lead to devastating financial consequences for seniors and their families, leaving many in dire financial straits. In this article, we will discuss the growing problem of elder fraud and scams, some statistics surrounding the issue, the most common scams, how to prevent them, and how to report fraud in Texas.The Growing Problem of Elder Fraud and ScamsElder fraud and scams are a growing problem, with more and more seniors falling victim to scams every year. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), consumers over the age of 60 filed more than 143,000 fraud reports in 2020, with a total reported loss of more than $621 million. This represents a significant increase in the number of fraud reports filed by seniors over the past decade, indicating a growing problem.Most Common Scams Targeting SeniorsThere are many different types of scams that target seniors, but some are more common than others. The following are some of the most common scams targeting seniors:1.     Tech Support Scams: Scammers will call or email seniors claiming to be tech support personnel from a reputable company, such as Microsoft or Apple. They will then claim that there is a problem with the senior's computer and ask for remote access to fix the issue. Once they gain access to the computer, they can steal personal information or install malware.2.     Grandparent Scams: Scammers will call seniors posing as their grandchild, claiming to be in trouble and in need of money. They will ask the senior to wire money or purchase gift cards and provide the card numbers to the scammer.3.     Sweepstakes Scams: Scammers will call or send mail to seniors claiming that they have won a sweepstakes or lottery. They will ask for payment of taxes or fees before releasing the winnings, but the winnings never materialize.4.     Medicare Scams: Scammers will call seniors claiming to be Medicare representatives and ask for personal information, such as their Social Security number, in order to send them a new Medicare card. They will then use this information to commit identity theft. Scammers may use a sense of urgency to try to pressure the elderly into making quick decisions. They may threaten legal action or claim that they are from a government agency, such as the IRS, in an attempt to scare the elderly into giving them money or personal information.Preventing Elder Fraud and ScamsTo prevent elder fraud and scams, there are several steps that elderly individuals and their loved ones can take. 1.     Never give out personal information over the phone or via email unless you are certain that the request is legitimate.2.     Do not wire money or send gift cards to anyone who calls or emails you asking for money.3.     Verify any requests for personal information or money by calling the company directly using a phone number you know is legitimate.4.     Do not click on links or download attachments from emails or websites you do not trust.5.     Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive.6.     Be wary of unsolicited phone calls or emails that ask for personal information or money. Overall, elder fraud and scams are a growing problem that is impacting thousands of elderly individuals across the country. By educating oneself about the different types of scams and taking steps to prevent them, elderly individuals and their loved ones can protect themselves from becoming victims. Reporting scams to the appropriate authorities is an important step in preventing further fraud and holding scammers accountable for their actions. Elder fraud and scams are a growing problem, and seniors need to take steps to protect themselves.  Reporting Elder Fraud and Scams in Texas If an elderly individual believes that they have been the victim of a scam, it is important to report it immediately. In Texas, individuals can report fraud or scams to the Texas Attorney General's office or to the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services. Reporting scams is important not only to prevent further fraud, but also to help law enforcement investigate and bring scammers to justice.Here are the steps to report elder fraud and scams in Texas:1.     Contact local law enforcement: If you suspect that an elder is being scammed or defrauded, the first step is to call the local police department or sheriff's office. You can also call 911 if the situation is an emergency. The police will take your report and investigate the matter. 2.     Contact Adult Protective Services (APS): If the elder is a vulnerable adult or has a disability, you can contact APS to report the fraud or scam. APS is a state agency that investigates reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults. You can contact the Texas Adult Protective Services (APS) Central Intake by phone at 1-800-252-5400 or online at https://www.txabusehotline.org/Login/Default.aspx. 3.     Contact the Texas Attorney General's office: If the scam or fraud involves a business or company, you can contact the Texas Attorney General's office. The office has a Consumer Protection Division that investigates consumer complaints and takes legal action against businesses that engage in fraudulent practices. You can file a complaint online at the Attorney General's website. Texas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division by phone at 1-800-621-0508 or online at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint. 4.     Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The FTC is a federal agency that investigates consumer fraud and identity theft. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report fraud and scams by phone at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or online at https://www.ftc.gov/complaint. 5.     Contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB): If the fraud or scam involves a business, you can also contact the BBB. The BBB collects complaints about businesses and works with them to resolve consumer issues. You can file a complaint online at the BBB's website.  It's important to note that reporting elder fraud and scams can help prevent others from becoming victims. If you suspect that someone you know is being scammed or defrauded, encourage them to report it as soon as possible. Additional Resources to Prevent or Address Elder Abuse in the Greater Dallas DFW Area Elder Financial Safety CenterThe Senior SourceAdult Protective ServicesTexas Attorney GeneralAARPMcNair Dallas LawteleCalm  Author: Kathleen Warshawsky, BSN, RN | Publisher Seniors Blue Book Greater Dallas | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenwbsnrn/