Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids Elder Law & Medicaid Lawyers
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Attorneys who understand planning for elder needs
The Medicaid and elder care lawyers at Willis Law, Attorneys & Counselors, are sensitive to the difficult decisions that must be made later in life. They are also well-informed about your options and provide clear and comforting guidance.
Medicaid planning
The cost of nursing home care for an elderly family member can be an enormous financial drain. Many families spend up to $75,000 per year for nursing home care. We help you plan for Medicaid to pay for nursing home expenses. Our Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids elder lawyers help you protect your financial assets while remaining eligible for Medicaid.
Automatic exemptions for Medicaid eligibility
Property exempted for Medicaid calculations includes the following:
- Your primary residence
- Personal property
- One automobile
If you own additional property, you may have difficulty getting accepted by Medicaid. Willis Law, Attorneys & Counselors, work with you on strategies to qualify for Medicaid:
- Creating an irrevocable Medicaid annuity trust
- Legal spend-downs of your estate
- Properly transferring property
- Working with life insurance policies
Avoiding guardianships and conservatorships with advance directives
Most people do not feel comfortable with the thought of being placed under the care of a guardian or conservator. This scenario restricts your ability to communicate your wishes, and often requires a costly and lengthy court proceeding. Our Medicaid and elder care attorneys in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo help you avoid this outcome by guiding you in the preparation of advance directives.
General durable power of attorney for financial matters
The general durable power of attorney is used to plan for your financial, property, banking, and legal affairs. In Michigan, this document allows your representative to sign your name on financial and legal documents.
Medical power of attorney for health care
This document is also known as the following:
- Health care proxy
- Patient advocate designation
You can use a medical power of attorney for health care to appoint another person—your patient advocate—to make decisions for you about medical treatment and other personal care issues. This document is best used in combination with a living will.
Living will
A living will is a document used to inform doctors, family members, and others what type of medical care you wish to receive in the event that you cannot speak for yourself. A doctor must determine that you are the following:
- Terminally ill or permanently unconscious
- Unable to make decisions or communicate about your care
In your living will, you can be very specific about the treatment you would or would not want in a range of medical scenarios. If you have appointed a patient advocate by using a medical power of attorney for health care, that person will be able to use your living will as a guide in enforcing your wishes.
