As an Elder law and estate planning attorney in this time of COVID-19, I want to reach out to each of you to remind everyone to pay attention to the vulnerable seniors, elders, and people with disabilities who may feel isolated and alone.  Although we have a social distancing measure in place, lawyers still provide services to you.  Let's take a moment to think about COVID 19 and how it may affect our Seniors.

Elder Law and COVID-19

What does today's crisis mean for our elderly parents and grandparents today? There is fear and uncertainty in our communities during the pandemic of COVID-19.  Our seniors today are vulnerable to an illness that they may or may not survive.  Elder law attorneys always advocate for the best interest of our seniors, whether they live in a nursing home, assisted living, or with family members.  Elder Law meets the challenge of COVID-19. Seniors need safeguarding emotionally and mentally while also receiving physical care. Elder Law

Senior Isolation and COVID-19

Your mother or father in a nursing home may feel even more isolated.  Seniors who live alone might experience feelings of loneliness.  Widows and Widowers who set a calendar of movie dates and friend dinners are suddenly cutoff and dealing with too much alone time. Feelings of isolation may lead to depression.  It is important to continue to reach out to our Seniors.  Find creative ways to communicate with your family in long-term care. Make posters to show outside of windows and consider sending care packages.  If you know a senior living alone, consider a Face-Time phone call to remind them they are not alone.  Send a food basket or a ready-made meal to the home. Let them know that social distancing is not social isolation.

Social Distancing and COVID-19

It is now a time of mandated social distancing.  Still, we are a community who must maintain communication and continue reaching out to each other.  It is important to make sure that social distancing does not lead to paralyzing fear, inaction, and isolation.  We must find new ways to interact and communicate with each other.  There is technology avenues and creative interactions to explore.  If technology is not available to our Seniors, we must find a way to reach out and help them communicate with family and with their community.  Nursing homes are setting up video conferences, which will help alleviate the feelings of isolation.  The senior living next door may need some help. Let's find a way to provide that technology lesson to build a community bridge.

PoA and COVID-19

As an elder law and estate planning attorney, I am concerned that our seniors and people in my community have a lack of access to legal counsel during COVID-19.  For our seniors, this is the time to make sure you have Powers of Attorney (PoA) in place for healthcare and finances.  Powers of Attorney are very important documents, whether there is a crisis or not.  In this time of crisis, too many people are alone, with no one named who can reach out to the medical community or keep the bills paid from a banking account.  I am using technology to remain open and available to help you put these documents in place.  Seniors need to have a document that meets their needs for their age. Powers of attorney are needed for you from the age of 18+ and an absolute must for Seniors. Powers of Attorney in Elder Law FAQ

Estate Planning and COVID-19

We are in a time of uncertainty and fear, especially in elder law and estate planning.  We are not in a time of DIY your estate plan.  You should not sign a generic, online document you do not fully understand.  Often you may be signing a legal document that does not fully fit what you are wanting to happen.  Legalese jargon is confusing and may misdirect your intentions. Our seniors still deserve a personal estate plan and an opportunity for a lawyer to explain the document to them.  In fact, any adult deserves that opportunity.  Do not let fear lead a loved down an unknown path. Encourage family members to seek legal advice. I am open for business – meeting you in a new way, working with you on a personal level.

Who Can Help Me Now?

As an elder law attorney, I want my community to know that I am open for business.  By using technology, you can set up an appointment with me.  You can set up an appointment for your senior family member to put an estate plan or powers of attorney in place.  I use video conferencing that also connects with audio phone calls.  I have systems in place to send documents to you and we can communicate.  Yes, we are in an unusual time for business.  I want to assure my community that I am here to provide personal legal counsel in elder law and estate planning matters.  Stay safe. Stay well. Stay healthy.  Call me at 314-332-0011. Set up your appointment https://calendly.com/tuckerlegalsvc/newclientmeeting today.