Fear of the Nursing Home

By Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Guardianship attorney Rick Law of the multi generation law firm at the Estate Planning Center of Law Elder Law in Western Suburban Aurora, IL just off of the I-88 tollway.

Seniors are often so afraid that if someone takes their son, grandson, or whatever person is serving as their caretaker, away, now they will have to go to a nursing home.

When confronted with scenarios of abuse, whether it’s financial or physical, they’ll put up with the abuse so that they can stay in their home.

A great many seniors have spent their whole lives reminding their children that they “never want to be put in a home”; a rational fear made worse by generational stories of neglect, loneliness, abuse, and an inglorious death.

Similarly, seniors who have been scammed by strangers don’t want to tell their family because they are embarrassed, but they are afraid if they do tell their adult child, the adult child would say, “Dad, you can no longer care for yourself. We need to take you to look at other living options.”

Seniors know that is a euphemism for the nursing home.

The fear of going to a nursing home is legitimate. Linda Voirin – Victim Advocate at Kane County State’s Attorney Office – states, “We are probably fast-tracking someone’s demise when we take them out of what they’ve known and where they want to be and where they need to be in their home. If that is the trade off, then we have to look at that pretty carefully.”

Voirin adds that “there is empirical evidence that when a senior has been a victim of crime, that it has hastened their death. Being a victim, because it is so disrupting in their life at a vulnerable time in their life when trust is so important, hastens their demise.” Then add the guilt of their grandson, or whoever was exploiting them, being put in jail and the stress of them moving to a nursing home—that’s a lot of stressors.

If you’re ready to start getting your estate in order and secure your assets for the “worst-case” scenario, please give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free.  We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family.  Call now.

Sincerely,

Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees.

Rick has been named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney for the past 8 years in a row by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future.  Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care.  Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

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