The California State Bar has updated its guide for consumers, “Seniors & the Law: A Guide for Maturing Californians.” More than four million California residents are age 65 or older, making California the most senior-populated state in the nation.
A special section is devoted to Senior Housing Options answering questions regarding whether a landlord can evict a senior for any reason at all, if an eviction can be stopped if it leaves a senior homeless, what happens to a senior if the landlord loses the home in a foreclosure and whether a mobile home can be rented if a senior is hospitalized for an extended period of time.
The section on Obtaining Health Care Benefits explains the differences between Medicare, Medigap, Medi-Cal and Veterans health care benefits.
Dealing with Debt helps to explain what seniors should do if they are having trouble paying their bills, what will happen if they simply do not pay their debts and whether their Social Security income can be garnished by creditors.
Finding a Caregiver or Nursing Home discusses how to find help for elderly individuals who want to remain in their home, what Medicare will cover as it relates to the cost of a caregiver, where you can find information on nursing homes, whether Medicare will pay some of a person’s nursing home expenses, giving away your assets to qualify for Medi-Cal, what assistance is available if a person takes off work to care for an ailing parent, whether a child is legally required to support a penniless, bedridden parent, and information about the hospice care program.
To help the general public in obtaining a copy of this guide, it will be available free of charge for pick up at our office or upon receipt of a self-addressed number 10 envelope with $.80 postage. Otherwise, orders for Seniors & the Law should be sent to seniors@calbar.ca.gov . You can also call 1-888-875-LAWS for a regular U.S. Postal Service mailing address to send your request to the California State Bar.
Ms. MacDonald’s practice is limited to Estate Planning, Probate, Elder Law and Family Law. Ms. MacDonald maintains her practice in the Santa Clarita Valley at 27013 Langside Avenue, Suite A in Santa Clarita. She can be reached at 661-251-1300.