Elder attorneys, also known as elder care attorneys, probate and trust attorneys, or Medicaid attorneys, provide a wide range of legal services to help older people prepare for long-term care and death. This includes retirement planning, estate planning, creating durable wills and powers of attorney, appointing guardianship, creating trusts, and in some cases, Medicaid planning and appeals. If you are 60 years of age or older, you may qualify for free legal assistance for older people based on your income and assets. You can find legal services for older people in your local legal services program.
You can also get information about your local legal aid programs by contacting the local Agency on Aging at eldercare.acl.gov or by visiting the U. S. Bar. If you don't qualify for a legal aid lawyer, you can find one through the National Academy of Lawyers for the Elderly (NAELA) or your local bar association. Elder attorneys provide a variety of services to ensure the protection of the rights of older people moving from long-term care facilities to home and community care.
They also help manage long-term services and supports (MLTSS) using a managed care approach to the provision of publicly funded Medicaid long-term care services. Not all attorneys specializing in senior law offer Medicaid planning services, and not all Medicaid planners are attorneys specializing in senior law. Program administration includes toll-free phone numbers with prescriptions (PAAD, 26% Senior Gold), Medicare, hearing aids, hearing assistance, assistance with public services, adult day care, home and community programs. Community Choice Options Office helps most seniors and people with disabilities who need long-term care services receive help in their home or in a community setting rather than in a nursing home. Adult Social Day Care is an option for those who don't need medical care during the day but may need supervision to ensure their safety and well-being. Quality assurance of home office-based community services is managed by an office that oversees the quality of care management services for this program and for the Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) program. The State Foster Care Program provides relief to unpaid caregivers by ensuring that their loved ones receive care while the caregiver takes care of their personal time.
For married couples in which only one spouse applies for Medicaid in a nursing home or an exemption from Medicaid for home and community services, there are rules about impoverishing spouses. The Comprehensive Care Program for the Elderly (PACE) is an innovative Medicare program that provides people with health problems aged 55 and over with comprehensive medical and social services coordinated and provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals in a community center and in their homes. The cost of hiring an attorney specializing in elderly care to plan Medicaid varies depending on the complexity of the case. It is important to do your research when looking for an attorney who specializes in elder law to ensure that they have experience with Medicaid planning.
