The following scenarios all fit comfortably within our Elder Law practice:

“My dad had a stroke a few weeks ago and he’s in the Hospital right now.  They are going to discharge him into a rehabilitation center and then they said he needs skilled nursing.  I don’t think we can afford that.  How does Medi-Cal work? Can they pay for the nursing home?”

“My brother was in an auto accident and the lawsuit is almost finished.  He’s going to get a settlement award but they said he could lose his SSI once he gets the money.  He needs his SSI and his Medi-Cal- will a special needs trust let him keep the money and the benefits?”

“My parents are getting older and I don’t think they can manage things on their own much longer.  My dad is hard of hearing and it’s hard for him to get around.  We have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for my mom because she’s forgetting thing and gets confused about who is who in the family.  Does that sound like Alzheimer’s? My dad thinks we need a power of attorney and a trust, is that right?”

“My mom is acting erratic- last week she got in a car accident and she’s been giving away money to people and we don’t know what’s going on.  She says she’s fine and gets mad when we try to talk about this with her.  I think she’s going to get worse and get hurt or hurt someone by accident…what do I do?  Take her car keys? Then what?”

“My father died last year and my mother needs more care than we can provide.  I think maybe she needs to move out of her house.  What are the housing options out there?  Are there nice places to live?  She has a good pension and it isn’t so much a cost issue as figuring out what’s possible.”

“I need to set up a trust and power of attorney for financial and health care decisions for my wife and I.  My dad died and we went through probate with his estate.  It took forever and it was expensive. I don’t want my kids to have to deal with all of that.”