Elder Law Issue or Concerns?

Let our Minneapolis and St. Paul Lawyers Help

Elder law encompasses numerous issues, including estate planning. Steven H. Snyder & Associates, a St. Paul and Minneapolis attorney has experience in all issues pertaining to elder law. Elder law issues include:

• Disability planning
• Grandchildren
• Nursing home issues
• Retirement living
• Veterans’ benefits

Estate planning includes topics such as:

• Health care decisions
• Long term care insurance
• Medicaid planning
• Medicaid rules
• Medicare
• Retirement planning

Some of these issues like health care decisions, disability planning and Medicaid topics span both areas of elder law and estate planning.

Grandchildren

Grandparent visitation rights come into play, when a parent dies or when parents become divorced or estranged. The parent who is living or left with primary custody of the minor children may not allow the other grandparents to visit the children for whatever reason they may think is valid. Grandparents may take legal steps to reestablish and keep in contact with their grandchildren. Steven H. Snyder & Associates has extensive experience dealing with grandparent visitation rights, which can be a complicated matter.

Nursing Home Issues

Nursing homes can be difficult to deal with. Nursing homes are generally a last resort for care. Also, while under pressure, the person looking for a nursing home must make many significant decisions before signing an agreement to move in:

• Location – finding a nursing home near relatives that provides high standards for care and quality of life.
• Get references from the facility – this will help to determine whether a particular nursing home is what the family is looking for. Do not rely solely upon references, but know that they are useful.
• Check certifying agency reports such as HealthGrades or CareScout.
• Speak to the administrator – make sure care make sure care all decision makers understand the plans (including development of care plans). If you are not comfortable with the administrator’s outline of the nursing homes program, you may want to choose another nursing home.
• Tour the nursing home – make sure the rooms and common areas are clean. Make sure there is enough staff (pursuant to state and/or local laws). Look at how residents are treated. Check to see if residents are truly happy with the care they receive in the nursing home.

Making more than one visit, including surprise visits, if time allows, can help avoid many nursing home issues. If issues cannot be avoided, contact a qualified St. Paul and Minneapolis lawyer to help you deal with the nursing home issues. Nursing homes must abide by strict regulations, and Steven H. Snyder & Associates is familiar with these regulations. Our Minneapolis and St. Paul attorneys can help you with any nursing home or other elder law issues.  If you do not know where to begin with a nursing home choice or elder law plan, have doubts about your plan, or just want a professional opinion, call our Minneapolis and St. Paul attorneys now.