Elder Care in Ross, CA: Legal Documents Every Senior Needs

Being an effective elder care provider is about making sure that your aging loved one has everything that she needs in order to live a happy, healthy and productive life. Accordingly, it is critical that you encourage your aging loved one to get critical legal documents into place while she is still cognitively capable of making these decisions so you can feel confident that her wishes will be carried out should she encounter situations in which important decisions need to be made and she is no longer capable of making them. All seniors should have certain legal documents in place, and it is vital that these legal documents are drawn up when it can still be clearly demonstrated that the senior has full control over her mental faculties. If there are any questions of incompetence, these legal documents can be brought before a court and the decisions delineated within them can be challenged by others who can claim decision-making power over your loved one based on familial relationship. For example, if your sibling does not agree with you being declared your mother?s Power of Attorney, he could claim that your mother was not mentally capable of making such a decision, and attempt to have himself declared the decision-maker over financial or medical considerations.

Though the legal documents that each senior should have will depend on the specific characteristics and lifestyle of that particular senior, there are four ASIC legal documents that all seniors should have in place.

These are:

Living Will

Also referred to as an advance directive for health care, this legal document clearly outlines your loved one?s wishes regarding health care decisions. This is the document that will declare what types of treatments or care your aging loved one does or does not wish to receive in certain situations.

Durable Power of Attorney

This document identifies a specific agent, generally the adult child or spouse of a senior, who has the legal authority to make decisions for the senior should that senior become incapacitated or is no longer able to make decisions for herself. This document can cover legal decisions, financial decisions and health decisions.

Last Will and Testament

This is a legal document that outlines how a senior wants her personal property and interests divided after her death. This document will protect interests and help reduce conflicts.

Health Care Power of Attorney

Although the purpose of an advance health care directive is to express wishes regarding medical treatment, that document does not have the authority of ensuring that these wishes will be carried out. The purpose of a health care Power of Attorney is to give an individual the power and responsibility to make difficult health care decisions for the senior.

If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elder care in Ross, CA contact the caregivers at ComforCare Senior Services. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (415) 689-8567 for more information.

Source: http://www.sfbayseniorcare.com/elder-care-in-ross-ca

international womens day joe the plumber lra lra eric johnson eric johnson big east tournament