Because it’s so much more than just a move, forming a caregiving team should be #1 on a Senior’s List when considering a move.
“Caregiving is a family affair; however, in addition to family, seniors should gather their “Help Team” early-on when selling their home and making a move to senior housing. The team may consist of an Eldercare Attorney, a Financial Counselor, a Moving Consultant, a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and also a Senior Care Advisor.
Consider the value of these professionals:
Eldercare Attorneys specialize in the complicated legal issues confronting seniors – in particular qualifying for Medicaid coverage of long-term care. In recent years, we’ve increasingly seen the field described as “elder care law” and the lawyers as “elder care” attorneys.
Elder law or eldercare attorneys typically help families:
- plan for Medicaid coverage of long-term care, and apply for coverage when the time comes;
- plan and administer an estate;
- represent guardians and conservators; and
- create and administer trusts.
Unlike many other areas of the law, elder law is defined by the needs of the client, rather than a particular field of law. Because of this, Eldercare Attorneys are also aware that their clients’ needs often extend beyond basic legal services. For this reason, they are linked to a network of professionals in their community who serve the senior population. (This also may have something to do with the change in nomenclature from “elder law” to “elder care law.”)
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Financing your new senior living home is a discussion you should have with your Financial Counselor. There are a number of different types of Eldercare Financial Planners – both private and public assistance based.
Elder Care Resource Planners
Help families identify all possible financial and other assistance options, determine care cost scenarios and build plans for later life care Cost – $500 – $1,500
- Provide comprehensive view of all possible forms of assistance
- Inexpensive and very thorough
- Provide plans but clients must take action themselves to implement
Medicaid Planners
Help families, who otherwise would not be eligible for Medicaid, to qualify by restructuring their finances Cost – $2,000 – $5,000 depending on services provided and amount of assets
- Focus only on Medicaid; might not be aware of other forms of financial assistance
- Help families preserve their assets
Geriatric Care Managers
Primarily retained to manage the care of a loved one, some care managers also provide assistance on the financial planning side. Cost – $50 – $200 per hour
- Very knowledgeable about care needs, local cost of care and care providers
- Typically nursing or social work background not financial planners
- Care management and financial guidance services are bundled
Veterans Benefits Advisors
Help veterans understand benefits, eligibility and to assist them in preparing documents and finances for application. Cost Free – $2,500 depending on services provided
- Can reduce time required to apply for and therefore to receive benefits
- Greatly increase chance of being approved
- Legally cannot charge for application preparation but can for planning help
- Focused only on veterans benefits, might not be aware of other financial assistance
Financial Planners
Trained and certified professionals help families with financial assets to prepare for aging and long term care Cost $2,500 – $5,000+
- Focused on middle and higher income families
- Lack knowledge of local and low income assistance programs
- Can preserve assets for future generations
- Can be expensive
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Making a move at any age can be difficult and stressful. After 30, 40, or even 50 years in your current home, the process of rightsizing and relocating to a new home is overwhelming.For families who have geographic barriers, The National Association of Senior Move Managers can help. Senior Move Managers are professional experts available to guide a family through the transition’s emotional and physical aspects.
NASMM members are highly qualified Senior Move Managers who specialize in helping older adults and their families through the daunting process of transitioning to a new residence. NASMM members understand that your move is so much more than just a move. Their guide Rightsizing and Relocating has been developed to provide you with tips and checklists to enhance your moving experience. You will also want to read Why Hire A NASMM Company?
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Selling the family home can be an extremely emotional for everyone in the family. That’s why you need a certified senior specialist trained to deal with the financial and emotional challenges that senior clients face when they sell their last home.
The Senior Real Estate Specialist – SRES® designees are REALTORS® who have demonstrated the necessary knowledge and expertise to counsel clients age 50+ through major financial and lifestyle transitions in relocating, refinancing or selling the family home. These certified specialists have trained to explain everything from reverse mortgages to the use of pensions, 401K accounts and IRAs in real estate transactions. They’ll help you steer clear of loan schemes and scams that target borrowers age 50 and up.
Once you make the decision to sell the home, there are suddenly a whole bunch of things that have to get done — repairing, cleaning, decluttering and preparing the home for sale. An SRES can refer a specialist who can evaluate your home, find problem areas and suggest home modifications. Having someone you trust help navigate appropriate repairs can help you save money and help your home receive top dollar.
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When the time comes for you or your loved one to move into a senior care community, the feeling of stress has probably already set in. Add researching communities, calling communities, setting up tours, asking questions and making a decision, and the level of stress quickly rises.
Senior Care Advisors can assist you through the entire process, from figuring out what type of care you or your loved one needs, to making sure that the move went smoothly.
Your Senior Care Advisor will:
- Discuss what type of care is needed
- Work with you to determine the monthly budget that is available for care
- Figure out what amenities and services that are important to you or your loved one
- Research communities in the area you are looking in
- Match your needs and wants with what the community offers
- Send you a list of communities that would be a great fit for you or your loved one
- Set up tours at any community that you would like to visit
- Give you the resources you need to make a decision such as checklists and questions to ask
- Follow up with both you and the communities to answer any remaining questions
- Stay in touch throughout the entire process to assure the move went well and the senior’s needs are met
Because it’s more than just a move, Rick Wandrych is prepared to help baby boomers (and their families, fudiciaries and attorneys) with whatever real estate needs they may have. Ricks is an accredited Senior Real Estate Specialist and a Certified Probate Specialist, and is proud to help seniors and their families deal with their life changing moments. In addition, Rick has partnered with Eldercare Consultant, Speaker and Educator Becky Feola who offers her expertise to help seniors successfully navigate the challenges of assisted living assessment and placement.
We work with compassion and understanding to help you sell real estate before a life transition or after a loved one passes on. Call us today at 602-359-9000 for your eldercare real estate needs.