At Complete Estate & Probate, we believe the best way to help our clients is to teach using tools that make complicated topics easy to understand. In this article, you’ll learn what happens during an Elder Law initial consultation meeting.
When we meet, we’ll start by talking about the different types of long-term care. There are three main levels: in-home care, assisted living, and skilled nursing care. For each of these, you will learn the difference between these three care levels, when you might need each type of care, and how much it usually costs in our area. This information helps you understand what options are available and what to expect as care needs change over time.
Next, we’ll look at how you might pay for each level of care. This includes your ability to privately pay, and tapping into benefits like Medicare, Medicaid, benefits for veterans, and long-term care insurance. You will be able to understand what each of these covers and what they don’t cover. This part is important because many people don’t know all the help that’s out there.
After that, we will discuss how to actually get these benefits. We’ll talk about who can qualify for each benefit, how to apply, and what problems people often run into when they’re trying to get help. I’ll also give you tips on how to avoid common mistakes. This way, you’ll know what to expect and how to prepare if you need to apply for benefits in the future.
Finally, you’ll learn how Complete Estate & Probate can help you with all of this. Our firm’s job is to look at your specific situation, help you make a plan for financing long-term care, guide you through the process of applying for benefits, and protect your money and property, to the extent possible, while making sure you get the care you need.
To make our first meeting as helpful as possible, it’s a good idea to bring some things with you. This includes recent statements from your bank and investment accounts, any documents you have about your estate plan (like Powers of Attorney and a will or trust), and a list of questions or worries you have. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of these – we can still have a productive meeting.
Remember, the goal is to give you the knowledge you need to make good decisions about long-term care. It can seem complicated, but we’ll work together to create a plan that gets the best care for you or your loved one while also protecting your family’s financial future.
