Legal Planning Should Now Include Long-Term Illness

Our quality of life is rapidly changing. We invest millions of dollars in vitamins, health club memberships, and anti-aging products. However, statistics show that we are living longer, but not healthier. Dementia and other chronic illnesses are now commonplace in our population, despite our trips to the vitamin counter. It is very rare to find a family who has not been affected by dementia, stroke, or other serious long-term illness.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are affecting millions, with no easy cure on the horizon. The statistics are sobering, as more and more people are affected.
What does this tell us? Our legal documents need to reflect these horrific but real trends, and provide protection for ourselves and our families. We must plan appropriately, while our minds are strong. Gone are the days of thinking a simple Last Will and Testament are enough. Gone are the days that simple internet-based Power of Attorney documents provide enough protection. We all need documents that offer legal protection through illness and incapacity, from high care costs, and from the mass of government rules and regulations. Given these long-term illness trends, we must plan for the possibility of incapacity, and the expensive costs of care not covered by insurance. Our new legal documents must encompass medical advocacy, HIPAA releases, the ability for a trusted person to make decisions for us if we cannot, for asset protection if needed from the high cost of nursing home care, and other issues.
Everyone needs appropriate legal documents to make sure they are protected if they are affected by long-term illness and incapacity issues.
For more information, please contact the McNamara Law Firm, PC at (661) 287-3260, or visit www.theMcNamaraLawFirmPC.com.