Elder abuse takes a different form, and thus every case requires a different approach. However, elder law covers all more senior needs and issues ranging from estate planning, disability planning, and abuse prevention. Unfortunately, the aged and elderly who are meant to be protected and adequately cared for are sometimes victims of malicious abuse and exploitation. Elder abuse comes as any form of action, continuous actions from a trusted individual or party responsible for the aged or elder, which results in discomfort or harm to the older adult. These actions could mean exploitation under the pretense or with certain privileges and documents. Several forms of abuse, from theft to financial exploitation with legal documents on the elder, spell out cruel methods of elder abuse. It has been seen that elder financial abuse could even be carried out with estate documents such as a power of attorney. Fighting off or preventing any form of elder abuse requires that you have an elder lawyer. Contact one today.
An estate plan and elder law issues.
One way to adequately prevent most elder issues and abuses is through estate planning. Estate planning caters to all your needs while you are alive and well and when you become incapable. Through an estate plan, you can sufficiently protect your assets and finances, protect your estate beneficiaries, and lastly, have the final say over what becomes of your properties when you die. This is why planning your estate as soon as possible is essential. Don’t wait till when issues start coming up. Contact an estate planning lawyer right away.
Elder law attorneys handle several elder cases of abuse
Lawyers for elder abuse are constantly faced with several elder abuse cases. There are different ways an elder can suffer abuse. Knowing each type will help you or your loved one know when abuse has occurred in order to make any necessary steps.
The seven prevalent types of elder abuse, as described by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), are:
- Physical elder abuse occurs when an older adult is intentionally subjected to physical pain by another person. It often leads to bodily harm or death in more severe cases.
- Financial elder abuse or financial exploitation: There is financial abuse when a person in a trusting relationship with the older adult intentionally, illegally, and improperly uses the funds of the elder for their selfish gains, disregarding the needs of the elder.
- Negligence: There is negligence or elder neglect when a person who is supposed to be responsible for an older adult fails to act as expected of them or fails to protect them from harm through carelessness. Such inaction consequently results in harm to the adult.
- Elder abandonment: This type of elder abuse is sometimes intertwined with neglect. However, elder abandonment occurs when the person who is supposed to be responsible for the older adult consciously and intentionally deserts them without informing the relatives or home facility or making any formal agreements.
- Psychological and emotional sexual abuse: These are acts that produce fear, intimidation, or mental pain in the elder.
- Sexual elder abuse occurs when an older adult is coerced against their will to be involved in sexual acts with and by another party or parties.
- Elder self-neglect: There is elder self-neglect when the elder can no longer care for their personal needs but does not take any step to ensure they get help. The elder neglects himself or herself.
Bottom Line.
Elder law covers and addresses all legal needs of the aged and the elderly, particularly preventing any form of elder abuse.
These legal needs include disability and healthcare planning, guardianship and conservatorship, estate planning and settlement, Medicaid and long-term health planning, and financial and personal elder abuse. All these elder needs are adequately taken care of by an elder law attorney.
You need an elder law attorney to help solve complex family and personal situations.
Consider the following reason to hire an elder lawyer:
State laws dictate and determine how elder law cases are solved. These laws determine how to trust, living will, power of attorney, and other elder law documents are created. In most cases, the state law authorizes whom and what can be included in Medicaid and other essential documents. These measures are to prevent any form of financial exploitation and abuse. Therefore, it would be better to involve an expert who knows all about Florida. An elder law attorney in Florida would guide you through making the right plans and decisions while also preventing all forms of elder abuse.
The specific situation may aggravate elder issues and affect finances. For example, in the following cases, if you are involved in a second or third marriage, you have a disabled minor, don’t have children, have minor kids, are divorced, or have estate susceptible to federal and state taxes. You would need an elder law attorney who could also function in estate planning roles.
