A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers

AARPMichaelP — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 21:15:51 GMT

Our #1 tip is to have the right documents:

In addition to a will, make sure your loved one has a durable power of attorney (POA) for both health care and financial affairs. These legal documents will allow an appointed person to make medical or fiscal decisions for a frail or incapacitated relative.

Your loved one needs to create these documents when he or she is still capable of making decisions. It's not necessary to hire an attorney to draft a health care power of attorney (though depending on your state, you may need two witnesses), but it's advisable to use a lawyer to draw up a financial POA because money issues can be complicated.

The health care POA is part of an advance directive. The other part is a living will, which spells out your wishes for care if you have a serious illness — for example, whether and when life-sustaining treatment should be stopped.

Below you can find other legal checklist items for family caregivers:

A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers #2: Make a family plan

A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers #3: Organize important papers

A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers #4: Explore potential financial help

A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers #5: Look for tax breaks and life insurance deals

A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers #6: Think beyond your loved one

Also, check out the video featuring expert @AmandaSingleton that breaks things down more simply:

topic A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers in Leave a Caregiving Tip

A legal Checklist for Family Caregivers