National Elder Law Month was declared by President Kennedy to help bring awareness to senior care. To help seniors and their families make appropriate decisions, Foster Swift has an array of pre-planning tools.

“Aging Americans and their families need to be both proactive and responsive to navigating issues that include Medicaid planning, long-term care arrangements, financial scams and fraud targeting seniors, and workplace issues for adult children who are caring for their parents,” says elder law attorney Matt Fedor. “Keeping friends and clients educated on their options is essential in preparing them for what lies ahead. You should reach out to an elder law attorney to help develop a plan before an emergency eliminates some of your options.”

Elder law and estate planning isn’t just for people who are planning to retire or already have, anyone can plan for their future. Whether it is for yourself or a loved one, it’s never too early to start planning. If you already have a plan set, it’s always a good idea to revisit and revaluate to see what needs to be updated to accommodate current situations.

One resource that Foster Swift offers is an Elder Law blog, it will cover the following topics:

  • The typical responsibilities if you are named the fiduciary in charge of someone’s will/trust/estate.
  • What are the downsides of DIY Estate Planning and how it can cause more harm than good.
  • A three-part series on steps of what needs to get done when a loved one passes away, before and after the funeral.

For future posts, visit Foster Swift’s Estate Planning and Elder Law blog at mielderlawblog.com.

For additional resources to help seniors and family caregivers with the planning process, visit Foster Swift’s Elder Law & Estate Planning Resources landing page. This page is updated with links to videos and articles on topics such as spotting red flags of elder abuse, a glossary of common estate planning terms, and how employers can support employees that are taking care of elderly family members.

Other tools on the resource page include a guide for Older Adults living alone from the National Council on Aging (NCOA), an elder organizer to keep track of appointments/medications and a downloadable e-book on estate planning from fellow Foster Swift attorney Jonathan “Jay” David (fosterswift.com/f-elder-law-month.html).

About Foster Swift

For more than 100 years, Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC has provided outstanding client service and legal excellence for businesses, organizations, municipalities, families, and individuals. Foster Swift’s 100-plus attorneys across Michigan provide a results-minded attitude and across-the-board legal excellence while adhering to the firm’s values of integrity, civility, hard work, camaraderie, and commitment to the community. For more information, visit fosterswift.com.

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  • Worried Senior
Kimberly P. Hafley
Foster Swift Collins & Smith
517-371-8112
khafley@fosterswift.com