The elder law community focuses on legal issues that are of interest to people who have reached an advanced age. Without question, the best way to prepare for the eventualities of aging is to sit down and discuss everything with a licensed Connecticut elder law attorney.
You are entering uncharted waters when you start to get older and ultimately reach different stages of life. There are certain things that you must take into consideration, and you may not know exactly how to proceed.
It is important to gain an understanding of the challenges that you may face and the resources that exist to help you meet them.
One of the first concerns that you would logically have as you’re looking ahead toward your senior years would be your financial capabilities during what would typically be your retirement years. Most people are going to rely on Social Security to some extent, but it is important not to be overly reliant on Social Security.
This is because the payouts are modest, and cost-of-living increases are far from robust. At the end of 2012 the average Social Security benefit was just $1269 per month. Of course this is an average, and you may qualify for more or less.
The cost-of-living increase for 2013 was 1.7%.
The Social Security Administration website has some great resources for people who are looking ahead toward the future with retirement in mind. You can find out how much your benefit is going to be based on where you are at the present time by registering your account on the Social Security Administration website.
You can do so by following this link: Social Security statement.
Another thing that you must think about is your anticipated longevity. Once again, the Social Security Administration website can help. If you visit this page you can use the tool that is provided: Life Expectancy Calculator.
Because we live in the age of the Internet many things can be accomplished online. You can actually apply for your Social Security benefit without leaving your home. If you want to know how to apply, click this link: applying for Social Security.
Long-Term Care
Long-term care is another thing that elder law attorneys help their clients understand. Medicare won’t pay for an extended stay in a nursing home or assisted living community, and most people will eventually need long-term-care.
One of the possible solutions is long-term care insurance. You should learn all the details so that you are certain about what you are getting into and exactly what type of care is covered. You can obtain a lot of useful information if you visit this site: American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.
Although Medicare won’t pay for long-term care, Medicaid will assist if certain circumstances exist. If you would like to learn about how Medicaid may be able to help you with your long-term care expenses you’re going to want to speak with an elder law attorney.
However, if you would like to get some background information before you schedule a consultation you can visit the government’s Medicaid website.
Mr. Nirenstein is licensed to practice before the courts of the State of Connecticut and the United States District Court. He is a member of the Connecticut and Hartford County Bar Associations, and the Estate and Probate, Elder Law, Business Law and Real Estate Sections of the Connecticut Bar Association.
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