Denver Elder Law Blog

People are living longer in Colorado and the question of how to do that gracefully is on the forefront of many people's minds. One term frequently heard is "age in place," which is the considered the best scenario and allows a person to remain at home. There are issues that should be addressed in order to make this goal a realistic choice. Care coordination undertaken before an aging person requires extra help is the best approach.

One factor to take into consideration is how well-configured the home is for aging in place. Will it accommodate a wheelchair if necessary? Can it be reconfigured for one-floor living if it is a two-story house? What remodeling changes are necessary to accomplish these goals and are they affordable?

Transitioning to retirement can be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for many Coloradans, but it can also be a stressful time. There are many legal considerations you must make to prepare for this new chapter in your life as well as for those you love.

However, a recent study by Caring.com shows only four in 10 adults in the U.S. have a will, and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) says nearly 40% of baby boomers have not done any estate planning.

Older adults face many difficulties that younger people do not. For some, the physical and mental decline that can come with old age may make it difficult to enjoy activities that they did previously. For other adults, those declines can be dangerous to their well-being. Older people in Colorado and across the country are often targeted by scammers hoping to make money off of those who may not fully understand how best to protect themselves. However, a recent study found that financial elder abuse is more likely to be perpetrated by people that a senior citizen knows, including members of the senior's own family.

The study examined almost 2000 calls to the National Center on Elder Abuse. It found that close to half of the calls reported instances of elder abuse, and over half of those were reports of financial abuse. This was the most common category of abuse perpetrated on older people. In 61.8% of abuse cases involving a family member, the alleged offense was financial abuse. Nearly a third of abuse cases perpetrated by a family member involved abuse of more than one type.

Americans are living longer and healthier lives. But no matter how hard a person works to delay the onset of old age and preserve one's health into later years,  at some point, most people will require some form of assistance. One aspect of elder law in Colorado and across the country is to plan for possible disability later in life.

There are few things that many people fear more than the loss of independence. The freedom to do what you want and make your own decisions is something that everyone is loathe to give up. Planning for that eventuality, however, can allow you to have still have some control over what may happen if you become physically or mentally incapacitated, and is certainly preferable to having someone you have not chosen in charge.