So, You Have to Manage Someone Else’s Money – Now What? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

This sounds like a disaster in the making. A durable power of attorney document must follow the statutory requirements, must delegate proper authority, must consider the timing of when the agent may act and a host of other issues that must be addressed, warns My San Antonio in the article “Guide to managing someone else’s money.”

A durable power of attorney document can be so far reaching that a form downloaded from the Internet is asking for major trouble.

Start by speaking with an experienced estate planning attorney to provide proper advice and draft a legally valid document that is appropriate for your situation.

Once a proper durable power of attorney has been drafted, talk with the agent you have selected and with the successor agents you want to name about their roles and responsibilities. For instance:

When will the agent’s power commence? Depending on the document, it may start immediately, or it may not become active until the person becomes incapacitated.

If the power is postponed, how will the agent prove that the person has become incapacitated? Will he or she need to go to court?

What is the extent of the agent’s authority? This is very important. Do you want the agent to be able to talk with the IRS about your taxes? With your investment advisor? Will the agent have the power to make gifts on your behalf and to what extent? May the agent set up a trust for your benefit? Can the agent change beneficiary designations? What about caring for your pets? Can they talk with your lawyer or accountant?

When does the agent’s authority end? Unless the document sets an earlier date, it ends when you revoke it, when you die, when a court appoints a guardian for you, or, if your agent is your spouse, when you divorce.

What does the agent need to report to you? What are your expectations for the agent’s role? Do you want immediate assistance from the agent, or will you continue to sign documents for yourself?

Does the agent know how to avoid personal exposure? If the agent signs a contract for you by signing his or her own name, that contract may be performed by the agent. Legally, that means that the cost of the services provided could be taken out of the agent’s wallet. Does the agent understand how to sign a contract to avoid liability?

All of these questions need to be addressed long before any power of attorney papers are signed. Both you and the agent need to understand the role of a power of attorney. An experienced estate planning attorney will be able to explore all the issues inherent in a durable power of attorney and make sure that it is the correct document.

Reference: My San Antonio Life (Aug. 26, 2019) “Guide to managing someone else’s money”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Are You Prepared to Age in Place? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

If aging in place is your goal, then long-term planning needs to be considered, including how the house will function as you age, accommodations for the people who will care for you and how to pay for care, says the Record Online in the article “Start planning now so you can ‘age in place.’”

Many homes will need to be remodeled for aging in place and those changes may be big or small. Typical changes include installing ramps and adding a bathroom and bedroom on the first floor. Smaller changes include installing properly anchored grab bars in the shower, improving lighting and changing floor covering to avoid problems with walkers, wheelchairs or unsteady seniors.

Choosing a caregiver and paying for care are intertwined issues. Many adult children become caregivers for aging parents and for the most part they are unpaid. Family caregivers suffer enormous losses, including lost work, career advancement, income and savings. Stress and neglect of their own health and family is a common byproduct.

You’ll want to speak with an estate planning elder care attorney about how or if the parent may compensate the child for their caregiving. If the payment is deemed to be a gift, it will cause a penalty period when Medicaid won’t pay for care. A caregiver agreement drafted by an elder law estate planning attorney will allow the parents to pay without a penalty period. The child will need to report this income on their tax returns.

The best way to plan ahead for aging in place is with the purchase of a long-term care insurance policy. If you qualify for a policy and can afford to pay for it, it is good way to protect assets and income from going towards caregiver costs. You can also relieve the family caregiver from duties or pay them for caregiving out of the insurance proceeds.

Without long-term care insurance, the next option is to apply for community Medicaid to pay for care in the home if available in your state. To qualify, a single applicant can keep $15,450 in assets plus the house, up to an equity limit of $878,000 and only $878 per month of income. For a married couple, when one spouse applies for community Medicaid, the couple may keep $22,800 in assets plus the house and $1,287 per month of income. If the applicant or spouse are on a managed care plan, the couple may keep more assets and income.

Another option is spousal refusal, which may allow the couple to keep more assets and income. When an applicant has too much income, a pooled income trust may be used to shelter income from going towards the cost of care. This is a complicated process that requires working with an estate planning attorney to ensure that it is set up correctly.

Self-paying for home care is another option, but it is expensive. The average cost of home health care in some areas is $25 per hour, or $600 per day. When you get to these costs, they are the same as an expensive nursing home.

Planning in advance with careful analysis of the different choices will give the individual and the family the best picture of what may come with aging in place. A better decision can be made once all the information is clearly assessed.

Reference: Record Online (Aug. 31, 2019) “Start planning now so you can ‘age in place’”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

How to Live a Full Life throughout Retirement – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

If you don’t have a personal plan for yourself, you may wish you had given it some thought if you come to an age and stage where other people want to make decisions on your behalf.

There are many choices to be made before, during and after retirement, but without a clear picture of what you want, it’s easy to get sidetracked. This message from The Press-Enterprise is very clear in the article “Aging seniors: Make decisions before someone makes them for you.”

Here are some of the choices you’ll face:

Where to live. Waiting to move to a location you want to live in early on could make it difficult or impossible for you to move there. Do you want to stay in an area where you have friends and belong to social and civic circles?

Do you want to relocate to live closer to family members? What will you do if you move and then learn that your family’s life is busy and you don’t see them very often? Be prepared for that scenario.

What do you like to do? If you visited Arizona or Texas and loved those places, do you want to move there for recreational activities or climate? If you have more time for hobbies and interests, you may be able to fulfill those dreams.

Moving also needs to take into account taxes, sales taxes, inheritance taxes and property taxes.

What kind of living space do you want? If you prefer to live in your own home, that raises questions. Will the house be safe as you age? Does the home have stairs? Are the hallways wide enough for a wheelchair? Do you have enough assets to support the house’s upkeep, make repairs and any major fixes? Will you take care of the house, or have to hire someone to maintain it? Finally, if you live with a spouse or a partner and that person dies, will you be able to manage the house on your own?

If a personal plan isn’t made now, you might regret it when other people are making choices for you.

Do you have a transportation plan? At some point, you will likely have to give up the keys to the car. How will you get around? If you live in a place with adequate buses, subways or taxis, you’ll be able to remain independent.

Taking care of yourself. The idea of not being able to take care of ourselves is not a happy one. At some point in life, we have to accept the fact that we’ll need care. As we age, it takes effort to enjoy socialization and meals and planned activities become very important. Does that include adult day care, a Continuing Care Retirement Community or assisted living?

Don’t be afraid to look into the future. By thinking about what you want and planning in advance, you are more likely to enjoy your retirement life.

Reference: The Press Enterprise (Aug. 31, 2019) “Aging seniors: Make decisions before someone makes them for you.”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Design Strategies for Memory Care Centers to Meet the Needs of Dementia Patients – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

If your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you should try to find a quality memory care facility that incorporates the best elements of design tailored to people with dementia.

When a long-term care facility designates part of an existing center to memory care, they often try to retrofit the space for people with dementia care. Unless the memory care center employs design concepts that address common aspects of dementia, the facility itself can actually increase the residents’ anxiety, sleep disturbances, wandering, falls, injuries and need for medications.

A well-designed memory care facility can make residents less anxious by its mindful design, reducing the amount of prescription drugs the residents need. Here are some design strategies for memory care centers to meet the needs of dementia patients.

Ground Floor Is Problematic

Every winter, there are tragic news stories of dementia patients who wander outside and succumb to the elements. Despite this fact, many facilities have their memory care rooms on the first floor. A better plan is to have the Alzheimer’s portion of the center on the third floor, with multiple security points, locked doors and keypads between the memory care residents and the great outdoors.

Speaking of the Great Outdoors

Having ready access to safe, peaceful spaces outside can reduce anxiety for people with dementia. One facility uses the roof of an adjacent building for the memory care garden. The space has lovely plants, seating for individuals and small groups and discreet fencing to keep the residents safe. There is even a non-functional classic Cadillac for residents to sit in and reminisce. You would not realize that venue is a rooftop garden.

Circular Walking Paths Indoors and Out

When an older person moves away from her home, she might get confused and feel lost. She might walk around, trying to find her home. She might simply feel restless and have a need to walk. An accessible circular walking path in the garden can satisfy her need.

The interior layout of the facility should not have long hallways that end with doors. When an exit door is the destination of the hall, it is logical the resident will try to open the door. Instead, the layout should have a social room, kitchen, restroom, or other room at the end of a hallway.

Design Principles for Memory Care Facilities

Savvy design will camouflage exit doors, place them to the left or right of hallways and use keypad locks that do not look as if they guard Fort Knox. By nature, human beings do not thrive in an institutional setting. The more the memory care facility looks like a home and less like an institution, the happier and healthier the residents will be.

Since memory loss is central to memory care centers, the residents should not have to remember their room numbers. Well-placed personal objects next to the door should readily identify the room for the resident.

Another tailored design feature is to do away with nursing stations and staff uniforms. Having the staff dress in regular clothing and eliminating the nursing stations makes the facility feel more residential. When people feel at home, their anxiety levels go down and they need fewer medications.

References: A Place for Mom. “Alzheimer’s Care Facilities Design.” (accessed August 21, 2019) https://www.aplaceformom.com/planning-and-advice/articles/alzheimers-care-facilities

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

What You Need to Know About Continuing Care Retirement Communities – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

With all the different types of residential options for seniors today, it is easy to get confused by the terminology. If you are trying to decide which choice is right for you or your loved one, you need to evaluate several kinds of arrangements. Here is what you need to know about continuing care retirement communities.

A continuing care retirement community offers a continuum of care, from independent living for people who need no assistance, to assisted living that offers some services, to nursing home care that provides skilled nursing care. A person or couple usually move into the level they need with the option to move to either more independence or more services as their needs change.

The benefit of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is you do not have to move to a different facility when you need more medical attention or if your health improves. You would have to move to a different part of the community that is usually in a separate building. However, all levels of care are at one campus or physical location.

The drawbacks of CCRC include:

  • These facilities tend to be more expensive than stand-alone centers. There is usually a sizeable entrance fee, ranging from $10,000 to $500,000.
  • The monthly expenses of living in a CCRC make these facilities out of range for low-income and most middle-income seniors. On top of the rent, there is a monthly maintenance fee that can range from $200 to more than $2,000.
  • There might not be a vacancy in the section to which you want to move, so you might have to go on a waiting list or move out of the CCRC to get the level of care you need. If you move out, you can lose the entrance fee you paid.
  • Usually, you do not own the place where you live, even though you might pay more than the market value of the building.

On the other hand, CCRCs have advantages, like:

  • A broader range of activities and services than stand-alone facilities.
  • Getting to stay close to the friends you have at the CCRC when your needs change.
  • More options for independent living, like apartments, houses, duplexes and townhomes.
  • The CCRC arrangement creates a social network and helps residents get through grief when a spouse passes. Residents of CCRCs tend to have less social isolation and higher activity levels as widows or widowers than people who live in single-family homes that are not part of a CCRC.
  • Because CCRCs have so many ongoing activities and the facilities include a range of opportunities for physical exercise, like swimming, yoga, tennis, golf, walking and dance, seniors in these communities tend to stay healthy and socially engaged.
  • Many CCRCs have barbers, hairdressers, grocery stores, coffee shops and retail shops onsite for the convenience of residents.
  • You can tailor your services to your desires. One resident might only want lawn care and snow removal. Another person might want housekeeping, meal preparation and transportation.

Make sure that you get detailed written information about all the costs for each service the CCRC offers and for all levels of care. Get the facility to tell you in writing what happens to your entrance fee, if you move from the facility. Compare at least three CCRC developments if you decide that a CCRC is the option you prefer and can afford.

Reference: A Place for Mom. “Continuing Care Retirement Communities.” (accessed August 21, 2019) https://www.aplaceformom.com/planning-and-advice/articles/continuing-care-retirement-communities

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Does Your Family Include A Hoarder? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

We all know someone who can’t bear to throw anything out, no matter how small or valueless the item is. When they pass, loved ones have the dreadful task of cleaning away the mess while grieving. It’s not easy, says Next Avenue in the article “6 Tips for Dealing with the Aftermath of a Family Hoarder.”

For one woman whose grandmother lived in a one-bedroom apartment only ten miles away from her, the idea of cleaning out her grandmother’s apartment didn’t seem like it would be so bad.

It was worse.

Her spending and hoarding had led to a foreclosure on the woman’s home six years after her husband had passed away. Her possessions overflowed from every closet, drawer and surface. She had 30 large bins filled with craft supplies in the small living room. There were notes and pictures shoved into boxes with fast-food napkins and outdated receipts.

The apartment was rented, so everything had to be cleared out in thirty days, unless the family wanted to pay another month’s rent.

Three weeks and three garage sales later, the apartment was cleaned out. Five large bags of clothing were donated to local charity. A junk removal service was paid $250 to remove a mattress, couch and TV. Most of it went to the trash.

Here are six tips for anyone confronted with this difficult task:

  1. If you can, don’t do it yourself. Ask friends or family members to help. If you can afford it, consider a clean-out service.
  2. Find out if there are any instructions in the will. If there are specific directions about possessions, follow them. If not, let close family members make requests before the clean out starts.
  3. Limit what you keep. You don’t need a full dining room set or a box of costume jewelry to remember a loved one.
  4. Look for easy items to discard. Get rid of any trash, old food in the pantry, junk mail, etc., first.
  5. Don’t pinch pennies in a garage sale. Yes, some stuff may be worth top dollar, but your goal is to sell as much stuff as possible. Accept any reasonable offers.
  6. Make “let it go” your personal anthem. Remember that just because you are getting rid of stuff, does not mean you are getting rid of the person or your memories. Handle items fast, get the task done, and move on. It’s like yanking off a bandage–the faster you do it, the better.

Reference: Next Avenue (August 12, 2019) “6 Tips for Dealing with the Aftermath of a Family Hoarder”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Preparing for Alzheimer’s – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Once there has been a diagnosis of dementia, there are a number of issues that families need to address, including legal issues. The best way to approach this task, says being patient in the article “Alzheimer’s and the Law” is to meet with an estate planning attorney who can guide the family in planning for the future and creating the needed documents.

The conversation will start with who should be named to two different kinds of power of attorney. One is for the durable power of attorney, which will give the named person the ability to manage any business decisions, sign contracts and deal with insurance companies. This document will need to be inclusive so the agent can act for the person who is going to be incapacitated.

Next, there will need to be a healthcare power of attorney. It should be complemented by a living will, which states what kind of lifesaving measures you would want if you were to be declared terminally ill. The healthcare power of attorney also allows a person to be named to make medical decisions if the person with dementia can no longer make good decisions on their own behalf.

As long as the doctor has not yet declared the person incapacitated, they can sign the power of attorney for financial and health care. If the person has been declared incapacitated, then the family will need to go to court for a guardianship proceeding so the court can declare who will be in charge of the person with dementia.

Some families prefer to have one person in charge of the loved one’s financial affairs and a second person to be their healthcare power of attorney. If there is a family member who is good with money and business, that person will do a better job than someone whose heart is in the right place but doesn’t manage money well. A nervous or easily excitable family member may also not be the best choice for healthcare power of attorney, especially if important decisions need to be made in a crisis situation.

Make sure that the people who are being considered for these tasks live near enough so they can be available when needed. A child who lives on the other side of the country may want to be the decision maker, but if they are too far away, it will create more problems than it solves.

Before naming anyone to the power of attorney roles, speak with them about the situation and be clear about what they will be expected to do. Clarify the difference between the two roles and that of the executor. The executor is the person who is in charge of the person’s estate after they pass. They do not have an active role while the person is living.

People generally don’t like to think about times when they may not enjoy good health, but this is a situation where waiting to address the issue can become extremely costly. A skilled estate planning attorney who works with families with dementia will understand the situation. They can be a valuable resource of information about other related services that will become needed over time.

Reference: being patient (August 22, 2019) “Alzheimer’s and the Law”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Nothing is Certain but Death and Taxes – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

No one actually enjoys paying taxes, and few of us really want to think about our own death, but both require advance planning and careful consideration, advises Ohio’s Country Journal in the article “Death and Taxes.”

Think about how quickly the year has gone. Doesn’t it feel like only yesterday you were making New Year’s resolutions? Then it was tax season, which for more people is worse than going to the dentist. While we all know we should see our dentist on a regular basis, we also like to forget that we need to tackle our estate plan.

Preparing for taxes and death: neither one is associated with warm, fuzzy feelings, but we still need to plan for it. This is to avoid burdening our families and loved ones. It’s hard enough to grapple with loss and grieving, but to be completely unprepared, makes matters worse for those who are left behind. Here are some suggestions to prepare for these certainties of life.

Have a last will and testament prepared. Work with an estate attorney who is licensed to practice in your state. It doesn’t matter if you have a simple life or a complicated one. You need a will.

Designate a power of attorney. Choose someone you trust to be able to sign important documents and take care of business if you are unable. It does not have to be a family member. Sometimes a trusted advisor is the best candidate for a POA.

Have a living will prepared and designate a medical power of attorney. Again, choose someone you trust who will make the decisions you want. Talk with them about what you want and put your wishes in the document.

Create a master file and tell someone where important papers can be found. The documents include insurance policies, mortgages, wills, trusts, POA, healthcare POA, information about bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement plans. Don’t leave out contact information for your estate planning attorney, CPA, financial advisor or healthcare providers.

Plan your funeral service. Describe what you would like to happen in as much detail as you can manage. This will help your family immeasurably so they won’t be left wondering what you’d want or wouldn’t want. If you plan on being buried, purchase a plot. If you want to be buried with your spouse, purchase two adjoining plots.

Don’t forget digital assets. Make a list of all your digital accounts, usernames and passwords. If possible, name a person to handle your online accounts. Some digital platforms allow you to designate a person to manage your accounts, access your data and close your accounts. Others do not. If you have valuable data online, from business records to family photos, make sure you’ve planned for these assets.

All these items can be updated as needed. In fact, every three or four years, you should update your estate plan so that it is current with changing laws and doesn’t miss any opportunities. The same goes for large events in life, including births, deaths, marriage and divorce. Speak with an experienced estate planning attorney to make sure you are ready for the sure thing.

Reference: Ohio’s Country Journal (August 26, 2019) “Death and Taxes”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Where Should I Keep My Estate Plan? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Many people ask their attorney to hold the original documents of their estate plan. This prevents the plan from being misplaced at home and keeps it away from prying family members.

Forbes’ recent article, “Keeping Your Estate Planning Documents Safe,” explains that because of the expense of storage and the move to paperless offices, some estate planning attorneys are now having their clients hold the original documents.

This saves money for the attorney, but it leaves the client with the problem of where to put the originals.

If you need a safe and secure place for them, here are some options.

No safe deposit boxes. Avoid placing the original documents in a safe deposit box, because the authority to get into the box is inside the box! If you pass away or are incapacitated—and nobody has access to the safe deposit box—they’ll need a court order to get access. For them to get the court order, they need the documents inside the box. It’s like the chicken and the egg.

Get a fireproof safe. A fireproof safe is a great place to keep these important documents.

Make copies. Get a set of hard copies in another location that is easily accessible. You can now use the safe deposit box to hold a set of copies of your documents. Your attorney should also have a set of hard copies.

E-records. Your estate planning attorney should also have an electronic copy of your estate plan and should send you an electronic version of the documents to keep with your e-records.

Don’t lose it, if the originals are misplaced or destroyed. If the original documents somehow vanish, your family may still be able to use a set of copies. For instance, a photocopy of a will can be probated, once the executor has attested that she has made a diligent search to find the original which hasn’t turned up.

Remember that this isn’t a “one and done” task. You should review your documents every few years to make certain the people you’ve named in them are still alive and your intentions haven’t changed.

Reference: Forbes (August 16, 2019) “Keeping Your Estate Planning Documents Safe”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

How Do I Get an Executor to Sell My Mom’s Home? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

It’s not uncommon for a parent to leave his or her home to their children in equal shares.

Let’s assume that two sisters are both equal beneficiaries of their mother’s estate in New Jersey. Each adult child has retained an attorney. The executor, who’s a family friend, is moving slowly with the probate process, and it’s been more than a year of waiting. The executor of estate is the individual who is specifically designated in the deceased’s will to manage the estate.

In this case, the glacier-like progress of the executor is causing a strain on the sisters’ relationship. This results in the sisters fighting over the estate. One sister is in no hurry to sell the house, and the other feels frustrated and may have to just give her everything and walk away to save her sanity.

nj.com’s recent article on this topic asks “My mom’s executor won’t sell the house. What can I do about it?” The article says that these sisters probably tried to negotiate a resolution. However, there’s no reason to think the only way to resolve this is for you to “give her everything and walk away.”

The executor should sell the home and distribute the proceeds to the sisters.

If one of the children, her attorney, or the executor object to the sale of the home, a judge may need to intervene.

If there’s no issue, and the executor won’t act, a beneficiary can apply to the court to remove the executor. The judge may then name the two sisters as co-executors, so they can sell the home.

Although there would be legal fees and costs to go to court to get some action, if the executor won’t move, there may not be any other choice.

In addition, the sisters could ask the judge to decrease any executor commission that would be owed to the original slow-moving executor to cover the legal fees, if the judge agrees that the executor was acting improperly.

Reference: nj.com (August 10, 2019) “My mom’s executor won’t sell the house. What can I do about it?”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys