Home Health Care Legal Considerations for Seniors

Comfort Keepers of Georgian Triangle, ON, Explains Legal Issues Seniors Should Address

Elder care planning includes putting your senior loved one’s affairs in order. Preparing legal documents before a health crisis arises can give both of you peace of mind and more security. It is important to address these legal matters in advance, especially considering that once a healthcare emergency does happen, it may be too late to put them together. While you are having a conversation with your loved one about home health care, you can use this opportunity to initiate the conversation about legal matters too.

Elder care planning online resources can provide you with valuable information about legal matters for seniors. However, you need to be careful and use only reliable and trustworthy resources. You can familiarize yourself with legal matters for seniors on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) website.

Advanced medical directives are written instructions concerning an individual’s medical care preferences. They come in two forms, as living wills and durable powers of attorney for health care. A living will is a legal document which contains instructions for medical treatment. It provides instructions for family members about the kind of medical care that should be provided if a person becomes terminally ill and unable to make their wishes known. A durable power of attorney for health care is known as a health care proxy. With it, your loved one can authorize someone they trust to make all the decisions regarding home health care.

Another useful document to have is HIPAA authorization. Given the fact that health information and records are private, having this document will grant you access to your loved one’s medical records. Otherwise, it is illegal for doctors to share any details about your parent’s health.

A durable power of attorney for finances is a legal document that enables family members to manage their loved one’s finances in case they are no longer able to do so.

Besides these legal documents, other documents your loved one may need to provide include birth certificate, social security records, life insurance information, policy numbers, and Medicare documents, among others. When considering home health care with your loved one, you can encourage them to make copies of these documents and give them to other trusted individuals.

When it comes to elder care planning and important legal issues, there is a lot to think about. It can be an overwhelming issue to consider, so an attorney’s advice can be helpful, but make sure to consult a lawyer that specializes in elder law. If you have any questions about legal considerations, please contact us today! We are happy to help!