As 2023 begins, if you're wondering whether your senior loved ones have all their legal documents in order, or a transition is impending as they move into a senior living or assisted living community, or you just want to be sure their documents are up to date, this hour will answer your questions. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talks about how people are often happy to speak about their wishes, but don't often take the time to write them down. Depending on the circumstances of a person's health, without certain documentation in place you can put yourself and certain loved ones at risk. So take a few minutes and get your documents in order.

Memory care residents required a power of attorney because they don't have, unfortunately due to their disease journey, the wherewithal to sign certain documents. But if your loved one goes into the hospital, they have to be coherent enough to sign power of attorney paperwork. What if mom and dad go into the hospital because of a stroke, and they can't sign that paperwork — who can make decisions then?

There are ways to get these documents prepared for not a lot of money, if you ask the right people and ask the right questions. For example, for $30 a month, Legal Shield will send you paperwork for wills, and can send power of attorney and other forms for dollars.... How many people know if you bought a burial plot, or where it is? Does your family know what bank you use? Before choosing someone to have power of attorney, do they fully understand the level of responsibility they're taking on? Some of the decisions they have to make can be daunting. Kelley and Suzanne remind everyone that you should talk to an elder law attorney or an estate planning attorney about getting paperwork filled out.

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