What is the level of capacity needed to create a will? The rule of thumb is you must be 18, remember what property you own and know the natural objects of your bounty. This level of capacity is not very high.
#estateplanning#wills
Your Last Will and Testament directs who gets your property after you pass away and appoints an executor to manage the affairs of your estate including collecting the assets, paying the debts, paying the taxes and distributing assets to the beneficiaries.
#wills#estateplanning
Paying a #caremanager can often save money in the long run. Getting the care your loved one needs when it’s needed leads to better results and often costs less than trying to avoid paying for care until it is absolutely necessary.
#Caremanagement is like a guided tour of elder care - you don’t need to know everything because the care manager can teach you as you go and help your loved one get the best possible care for the best possible price.
Be careful when getting #careplanning help from someone in a hospital or rehab center. They will help you find care but their #1 job is to get you discharged. A care manager working for you will help you find the best possible care for your elderly loved one’s specific needs.
#Decisionmaking documents like a power of attorney and living will are crucially important if you want a friend or distant relative to be your decision maker when you become incapacitated.
You don’t give up any control when you execute documents to appoint #decisionmakers. You keep control, you just have people in place if you ever can’t (or don’t want to) manage your finances or medical decisions.
Someone who has been diagnosed with #dementia may still be able to sign documents to appoint #decisionmakers, depending on the severity of their dementia.
If you become incapacitated and haven’t appointed your own decision makers using a #powerofattorney or #livingwill then a judge will do it for you, and they may not pick the person you would have.
Who is the right person to serve as your #decisionmaker? The answer is the right person. Age, sex & occupation don’t matter. Who is the person that will honor your wishes and further your goals if you ever become incapacitated? That is the person you should choose.
#PowersofAttorney, #LivingWills and #POLST forms are some of the documents where you can put people in place to make decisions for you when you are incapacitated.