Jay Trucks and Associates Legal Blog

In addition to the difficult decision to place your loved one in a nursing home is the importance of making sure other aspects of their care are in order. This includes estate planning, will, and power of attorney. By ensuring these areas are clear, you can protect your relative from potential nursing home abuse.

Estate Planning

Estate planning are the plans your family member makes in the event he or she ever becomes too ill to inform you of their wishes or dies. Financial decisions, medical treatment, durable power of attorney, and wills and trusts are all part of estate planning. These documents will make clear what your relative wants prior to entering a nursing home with regard to person and property.

While you may have some knowledge about what your family member wants prior to entering a nursing home, documents that state those wishes explicitly will help in specific circumstances. These documents are called advance directives. For situations that are unexpected, it is best that durable power of attorney is granted by your relative. This allows the attorney to make decisions regarding treatment in the event of worsening health or other emergencies.

Financial Decisions

Financial abuse and exploitation is one of the sad hallmarks of the broad umbrella of nursing home abuse. By having a written will before entering a nursing home, property is protected with a trust. This is especially important if your loved one can no longer manage his or her finances, and protects them from nursing home employees who may try to gain access. By simply having a trust, your relative may become less of a target for financial exploitation.

If you would like to speak to an attorney about estate planning or have a relative who has become the victim of nursing home abuse in the Flint, Lansing, or Saginaw, Michigan area, please contact the attorneys at Jay Trucks & Associates, P.C. today.