You’re a long-distance caregiver. You don’t live close enough to your mom and dad to stop by their home. You help them in other ways. You refill prescriptions, arrange appointments for them, pay bills, and consult with their nurses, doctors, and home care aides.
Powers of Attorney Forms for Medical and Financial Matters
If your role as a long-distance caregiver is to pay bills, you need to have legal permissions in place to access their bank accounts. A financial power of attorney will help the named agent with things like insurance enrollment, loans, and real estate transactions.
You also need to have legal permissions in place for medical decisions. Your mom and dad will be able to make decisions for themselves in many situations. But, they should have an agent named to advise doctors if they cannot speak for themselves.
A medical power of attorney allows you or their chosen agent the permission to guide doctors and other medical experts to the treatment path they need to follow. It’s only used if they’re in a coma, have a stroke and cannot talk, or are experiencing extreme cognitive decline.
Guiding Agents to Make the Right Decisions
With a living will and advance directive, your parents can lay out the rules they want their medical power of attorney agent to follow. If they’re against feed tubes, they can say so. If they want to have DNR orders in place, that’s also an option.
At the same time, there have to be protections to manage their money correctly. Your parents can work with an estate attorney to protect their assets and real estate. An attorney can set up a will and trust to ensure heirs inherit the assets your parents want them to get.
Make sure they know that if they recover and can take over making their own decisions, they’re welcome to take back over. They’re not stuck having their agents making important decisions for the rest of their lives. It’s only on an as-needed basis.
Schedule a Consultation to Get Started
Have you ever thought about the legal permissions that must be in place to do everything you need to do for your parents? It’s time to talk to an elder law attorney to discuss the steps your parents need to take to ensure their care needs are met when you don’t live close by.
Arrange a consultation with an elder law attorney. The attorney can talk to your parents to understand their goals and wishes and involve you when needed. Once the legal forms are in place, you’ll have an easier time handling your duties as a long-distance family caregiver. Call an elder law office now to get started.
If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Centerpoint, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101