Vegas Voice November 2016

november 16
29
Estate Planning to Improve Your Quality of Life
When you think of
an “estate plan” like
a will or trust, we hope
you do not automatically
think about a
funeral! Many clients
are conditioned to
believe that an estate
plan is useless during their lifetimes, and instead,
only benefit others - like their family,
friends, or favorite charities after they pass on.
Instead, your values and goals for your life
play a big part in determining which plan is
best for you. This is how your estate plan can
(and should!) work for you during your life:
First, your estate planning professional
should help you understand how your important
information will be communicated
to medical professionals and your loved ones
in the event of an emergency. Do these people
know you have a healthcare directive, for example?
Who will tell them about it? And who will
contact your family members in the event of
an emergency? How will they know the telephone
numbers?
Second, it’s important to understand that
simply putting family members’ names on
accounts and homes is not the best choice. In
fact, it can make your assets available to their
creditors, angry spouses, etc. AND put you at
risk of elder abuse.
Instead, make your plan work for you during
your life by protecting your valuables and
assets from these individuals with a properly
drafted estate plan tailored to seniors. You get
the benefit of convenience and powerful techniques
that protect your hard-earned savings.
Jennifer Salem
Valerie Del Grosso
Your Partners
In Planning
Third, your powers of attorney should allow
your loved one in charge (your “attorney
in fact”) the power to engage in the newest
asset planning techniques on your behalf so
that you can qualify for government aid if
there is a healthcare emergency. Most do not,
and this can have a serious negative impact
on your quality of life and healthcare in the
future!
Finally, before making “tax free” monetary
gifts at the end of the year, talk to your
elder lawyer about whether these gifts could
end up costing you double in long term care
costs in the future. Remember, there are smart
ways to be generous, and there are very expensive
ways.
Our estate plans focus on you first, to ensure
the best quality of life and healthcare possible,
so that you can pass on your values and legacy
to loved ones later. It does no good to have
a terrific estate plan if, at the end of the day,
nothing is left for the surviving spouse.
Your estate plan can do more than divvy up
your belongings; it can also make sure that
everything you have worked hard for stays in
your family, no matter what happens to your
health.
If you have any questions, or if we can assist
you in any way, please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Your Kindred Team in Las Vegas
Kindred offers a continuum of care
for your loved ones in 46 states: Transitional
Care, Inpatient Rehabilitation
Hospitals, Home Health, Personal Home
Care Assistance (PCA) and Hospice.
Here in Las Vegas we are fortunate to be
able to offer all services to the community.
Our
teams
in Las
Vegas
a r e
well
versed and trained on how to “Continue
the Care.” Over time, our patients need
change. Our continuum functions to
pass the information on to one of our
teams so a very personalized experience
is supported for each patient.
We seek new ways to manage care.
In Las Vegas, 90% of our patients keep
their primary care physician appointments
within seven days of being discharged.
This is important and supports
decreases in re-hospitalization.
Over the next few months we plan to
address issues that families and caregivers
face regarding their loved ones.
Do you have your medical wishes in
writing (Five Wishes)?
Are patient medications on a list for
easy reference for all involved in the
care? What is t h e
caregiver
role?
Have we
listened to
the patient and
what they want?
Home Health
and Hospice -
what services do
they offer patient and family?
We look forward to providing information
to answer your questions and
offer support to you and your loved
ones. In the last year, nurse advocates
have answered over 5,500 calls and inquiries
from patients and their families/caregivers.
If you have questions concerning
a loved one, we can be reached at
1-866-KINDRED (866/546-3733). A
nurse advocate will answer your questions
and guide you to better help you
or a loved one.
Jennifer Salem & Valerie Del Grosso help seniors who are concerned that they may lose
everything they worked for if they have a health issue. You can reach their law office,
Origins Legal Group, at 702/850-7799 or 702/900-1470. Visit their website:
www.originslegalgroup.com.
Our Jan Helps
Smash Out ALS
Our No-Brain columnist, Jan Fair
(pictured) participated in the “Walk to
Defeat ALS (Lou Gehrig’s) Disease” last
month.