Howard County and Montgomery County Medicaid/Long-Term Care Attorney

Long-term care is a broad topic that includes a host of issues that older adults and their family members typically face. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 70% of Americans over the age of 65 will need long-term caveat some point in their lives. McDonald Law Firm focuses on helping older adults and their caregivers in Howard County, Montgomery County and the surrounding Counties, deal with their estate planning, Medicaid planning and long-term care planning matters while also ensuring that they have the financial resources and legal protections to live out their golden years with a maximum of independence and self-determination. Some of the firm’s primary long-term care focuses include the following:

Medicaid Planning

While Medicare doesn’t cover the costs of long-term care, Medicaid does. Medicaid eligibility is based on financial need and seniors facing the need for long-term care must often spend down a lifetime of accumulated wealth and assets in order to receive the financial assistance they need from Medicaid. There are many ways to pay for long-term care without going broke. McDonald Law Firm can explore your options, walk you through a Medicaid spend-down, and assist in the creation of Medical Assistance Asset Protection Trust (MAAP Trust™), testamentary trusts, special needs trusts and other options to help you keep your assets while qualifying for Medicaid.

Asset Protection

The many asset protection strategies described above, along with others, such as purchasing annuities, pre-paying funeral costs or making home repairs, are excellent means not only to preserve Medicaid eligibility but also to protect the assets you have worked a lifetime to build, and to protect them from attack by creditors or civil money judgments.

Revocable Living Trust

A revocable living trust offers many advantages to estate planning, such as avoiding probate and keeping the details of your estate confidential. Setting up a revocable living trust can also be a useful tool for guarding against the pressure of family members who sometimes try to take advantage of an elderly relative and exert undue influence over the estate.

Guardianship

If a person is unable to care for oneself or provide for one’s own day-to-day personal needs, the court may appoint a person to assist the disabled person in performing these functions. All persons are presumed to be capable and competent, so establishing a guardianship requires going to court and proving that the person is incapacitated or unable to provide for one’s own day-to-day personal needs and in need of help. The court can establish a guardianship over the person or the person’s property, or both, depending upon the individual’s needs. When establishing a guardianship, the court will issue an order which sets out the terms and conditions of the appointment, including the scope of the guardian’s authority over a person’s medical needs or finances.

Call McDonald Law Firm in Howard County or Montgomery County to schedule a consultation regarding your Medicaid planning and long-term care needs

McDonald Law Firm offers an initial consultation to prospective clients to discuss your elder law needs and  how we can help. In Howard County, Montgomery County and the surrounding Counties, call 443-741-1088 for assistance.