Three important legal documents that every adult should have are a will, a living trust, and a living will. Each document defines your decisions for the different areas of your estate and will save your loved ones time, money and stress when you are gone. These documents are easy to draw up, or you could have a lawyer prepare the documents for a nominal fee.
A WILL dictates how your estate and property is to be distributed after your death and can also designate guardians for children and self should you become incapable or pass away. A regular will must pass through probate court in most states before your estate can be passed on to your heirs. Most state laws do not require that you use a lawyer to prepare your will; you can use a will kit at home. Probate court can take some time if there are any disputes, so make sure your wishes are clear when writing your will. A LIVING WILL defines your wish to be kept or not kept alive by artificial life support in the event of terminal illness or injury. A living will also give you the ability to set limits on your hospital, medical and funeral costs that can easily drain your estate and leave your loved ones with the bills. If you express your wishes beforehand, it will make the process much less stressful for those involved in your care and the execution of your final wishes. A LIVING TRUST is quite similar to a regular will, but they are different at the core. Unlike a regular will that cannot be changed after it is written, a living trust can be amended at any time. A living trust takes effect while you are alive, whereas a will takes effect after you pass. You can put property into your living trust at any time before your death and afterward your estate goes directly to your heirs without passing through probate court. If you ever change your mind about the definitions of your will, you can change or revoke how your estate will be divided at any time by using a living trust. A living trust will also save money and time later on because your loved ones won’t have to go through probate first.Posts
Several blogs and news outlets, including the LA Times took interest in and covered our proposal for Sierra Bonita:
Follow the links below to read these articles at their sources:
Curbed LA: Senior Living Facility On Sierra Bonita Still Breathing
Curbed LA: No Mega Senior Living for Sierra Bonita
Melrose Village Blog: Mega Senior Living Facility Turned Down
Melrose Village Blog: Residents Concerned About Zoning Variance for Proposed Nursing Home
Melrose Village Blog: Proposed Facility on Sierra Bonita Draws Controversy
Story by John North, KABC
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) — They are fathers, mothers, grandparents and even great-grandparents, and they need 24-hour care. But people living in a Hollywood neighborhood just off trendy Melrose Avenue say they already have too many elderly-care facilities. And now they’re fighting back.
Rose Katz turned 92 years old Monday. The kitchen table is filled with the desserts she will share with the other residents and staff. She lives in a home for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in West Hollywood.
It is a care home run by the same people who were turned down by the city of Los Angeles. They were denied a permit to build on Sierra Bonita Avenue. The builders, Raya’s Paradise, are appealing the denial.
“They need special care that they can’t get on their own and that’s what’s being provided here,” said Robert Cherno, a land-use consultant. “It’s a homelike setting rather than an institution, and it’s the ideal setting according to several studies that have been done.”
The West Hollywood home has been there 20 years and houses 30 elderly people.
Sarah Rinde would be a neighbor of the proposed new home in Los Angeles. Her concern is a new facility would alter the character of the neighborhood. The builder, Raya’s Paradise, would construct a new facility. But they say it would maintain the local architecture.
“I know that they need help too, it’s just, I love architecture. I see both sides,” said Rinde.
It is not easy finding affordable residential care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. The city of Los Angeles has never before had an appeal such as the one filed because of the denial.
Attempts to reach L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes for comment on the denial have been unsuccessful.
The appeal goes before the city council in two weeks. As the population grows older the question of where they are going to live becomes more critical.
See the story on KABC’s website HERE.
(Copyright ©2012 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
We are celebrating our 20th anniversary of helping our elderly residents who suffer from dementia. We were established in 1991 by Raya Gamburd who is a Registered Nurse in the field of geriatrics for over 25 years. Our five locations have served well over 400 elderly residents in these two decades.