Elder Care & Special Needs Planning

Advocating For Seniors And Those With Special Needs

As you grow older, you may face difficult decisions regarding your health, housing, finances or long-term care. At Curcio Law, our elder care and special needs attorneys know the complex choices older adults must often make. We take the time to truly listen to our clients in order to best understand their unique circumstances, financial situations and personal wishes. Together, we can discuss your available options in detail and arrive at a customized plan that meets all of your needs.

Offering Empathy And Advocacy For Those Facing Difficult Decisions

As part of our holistic approach to life planning, we factor in the potential for unexpected issues, such as a debilitating illness or accident, and the need for long-term care. We also address government benefit programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid, ascertain and document end-of-life wishes, and assist in determining guardianship.

We care about making sure our clients and their families are properly cared for, which is why asset preservation is a core focus in our planning approach. Our goal is to make sure you and your loved ones’ needs are met, whether you reside in the comfort of your own home or at an appropriate stage-of-life residential care facility, and that your family understands your plans.

Our Elder Care And Special Needs Services

As part of our constant effort to deliver customized plans tailored to our clients’ individual needs, our firm provides a wide variety of planning tools and services.

Medicaid And Public Benefits Planning

Our attorneys design comprehensive asset protection and long-term care plans that provide quality long-term care for our clients. We also protect family assets from the financially devastating high costs of long-term residential care facilities, such as assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

These types of plans may involve qualifying family members for needs-based government benefits like SSI and Medicaid. With this approach, our clients receive quality care while their spouses and children are adequately provided for via income and other resources. Wills, living wills, powers of attorney and trusts are all tools that are frequently used in the design and implementation of this type of planning.

Applying For Medicaid

With the rising cost of residential long-term care, many of our clients look to Medicaid as a way to help cover the cost of those services. Our experienced attorneys will conduct a thorough evaluation of your financial situation and guide you through the Medicaid application process.

Life Care And End-Of-Life Planning

For clients with aging or disabled family members, our attorneys employ a holistic approach to prepare them for the medical, financial, legal and long-term care issues that may arise. In doing so, they ensure that our clients’ family members receive the best care possible, while also preserving assets and making sure their wishes are honored. This type of planning includes end-of-life decisions and advance healthcare directives.

Special Needs Trusts And Disability Planning

Families that have members with disabilities face unique challenges, including caring for their disabled family members, providing for them financially, and helping them qualify for — or maintain their eligibility for — government benefits like SSI and Medicaid. Our attorneys design customized plans that help you meet your goals, lessen your worries about the future, and allow you and your loved one to enjoy an overall better quality of life.

Special needs trusts are frequently used to allow disabled beneficiaries to receive inheritances, lawsuit settlements, gifts and various other types of funds without jeopardizing their eligibility for government benefits. This incredibly useful planning tool is uniquely capable of delivering funds to a beneficiary without impacting their eligibility to receive public benefits. These trusts are meant to provide for comforts that cannot be paid for with public assistance — as opposed to basic support — including education, recreation, counseling and medical attention beyond the basic necessities of life.

Guardianship And Fiduciary Services

Guardianship is essential in protecting the health and safety of an individual with an intellectual or developmental disability, mental illness, or other form of diminished capacity. Our attorneys represent family members and others seeking guardianship of incapacitated loved ones. We can guide families through this complex process to help them provide their loved ones with the best care possible.

Choosing An Elder Care And Special Needs Attorney

When it comes to advising seniors, disabled individuals and their loved ones, Curcio Law offers unmatched compassion and experience. Our attorneys are knowledgeable about the legal and practical issues facing older adults and individuals with disabilities, and we can connect our clients with valuable resources. More importantly, we take the time to listen carefully to all of our clients’ needs and navigate these often sensitive and difficult conversations with discretion and empathy.

To schedule a consultation with an experienced elder care or special needs attorney, call 973-852-3229