Need help now? Schedule your free consultation with our legal team
Sep 17, 2008
I received a phone call the other day–a call from a person who is sinking. Not from an elderly client himself or herself–but from the caregiver child. In my office “the kids” don’t play with Barbie or G.I. Joe anymore. They vary in age from 30 to 80. If mom or dad are in their 90s or over 100, it is possible to have children aged 60 to 80. A phone call to our office often begins like this: “My mom is elderly and ailing, and my siblings and I need advice on how to help her. Our folks have a decent monthly income and assets, but the nursing home costs are three times that much! Nobody made any plans for this. My parents never expected to live this long. We don’t know what to do. I can’t have them live with me. Help me, please. I don’t know what to do for them.”
The call from the kids has several possible motives, and more specifically, several underlying emotions:
Often we get a phone call from the child or spouse caretaker because the person in need of care isn’t ready to admit yet that they need help. We can’t force a parent to get assistance, but we can be the “voice of authority,” to tell them when it’s time to start letting go and facing reality. It is our job as elder law attorneys to help our senior clients–and those who love them–make tough end-of-life and long-term care decisions. We walk alongside of them and serve as a guide through the elder care journey.
“Everyone in the office was absolutely wonderful to work with whether on the initial set-up of the trust, adjustment to such following my father’s passing, or processing of his home sale and proceeds.
They genuinely care for your family’s well-being and walk you through each step of the process. They are also exceptionally responsive even when parties involved live in different locations.
This is a definitely a team you can trust and one I highly recommend.”
W.W., Client of Law Hesselbaum