Seniors make up a substantial portion of the population living in Monterey, CA. As the region has seen recently, the future can’t always be predicted. While we can’t always foresee damage from future potential floods or storm surges, we can help ensure legal protections and rights over one’s estate and health care needs for our senior population. Research and history show that many seniors fail to keep their estate planning documents updated or ever have them drafted. While you may think estate planning simply involves a will or trust, it can involve so much more. There are vital legal documents that can keep your affairs in order in an event of your death or incapacitation. Documents seniors should consider include powers-of-attorney for financial and health care matters, healthcare directive which denotes end-of-life wishes and documentation allowing one to manage real property such as a deed-in-trust. While many fail to realize the value such documents provide, they allow you to choose who will manage your estate or life in such an event instead of relying on a government agency to do so. They are invaluable in ensuring proper assets are distributed as you wish and your care is provided as you wish. It is about keeping you in the driver’s seat to ensure you can enjoy peace of mind in your retirement years. For seniors in the Monterey region, access to legal assistance is available. Legal assistance such as has been shown to be extremely beneficial for seniors in terms of protecting their rights and improving quality of life has made its way to California. State and local aging agencies are provided with the ability to utilize a legal hotline to answer law-related questions and ensure seniors are not being denied their rights. This service has helped many seniors in the region who did not necessarily have the ability to pay for legal guidance. This has been instrumental in protecting against abuse and neglect among the elderly, ensuring wills are executed in accordance with state and federal laws, and ensuring seniors are given proper access to healthcare services and guardianships when necessary. Such services are invaluable to ensuring seniors are protected.
