As a social worker and as an elder law attorney, I had seen this situation so many times. On many occasions, I have sat in awe of my clients who do so much for their loved ones. Unfortunately, they may be unable to find the answers they desire or the solutions they need. I vowed at that time to develop a service program to help coach him and other clients through the maze of the aging network so that they would be able to easily find the answers they need and to create a plan for their future.

     When I started my own elder law firm, I desired to build a place that was able to meet the needs facing the elder population. Many elder law firms define their services as protecting assets from the costs of nursing home care. As an elder law attorney, I help families protect their spouses, their homes, and their assets. However, at our office we do more than just respond to the crisis. Our team is set up to meet people where they are.

     We help families work together to take the important steps and do the proper planning to keep their loved ones out of a nursing home. The goal is not just to obtain Medicaid in a nursing home, but also to gain in-home care, support a caregiver, access Veteran’s benefits, ensure a client is receiving the proper Medicare benefits, protect a caregiver child, and many more concerns brought on by elder care issues.

     Our team of professionals includes social workers Tammy Zilske, who works together with the attorneys to ensure that we are able to provide the best possible service to our clients. Jennifer E. Linn is an attorney who ensures that the details of all of the long-term care plans and estate plans are accurate. Together, we work to ensure that all of our staff realizes that the clients we service are facing tough decisions.

     At Steinbacher and Stahl., we have developed our resource center located at 401 Washington Boulevard, just two doors down from our office. The Elder & Special Needs Resource Center has information about all levels of care from nursing homes and assisted living facilities to in-home care. We provide information specific to diagnosis. So, if a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, we can provide information to the family about concerns they do not even know to ask about. We will help support family caregivers through diagnosis, education, and caregiver agreements. We intend to provide a center for information about issues facing the aging population.

     With the help of Laurie George, our special needs planner, we are developing more services for those whose children have special needs. For instance, what a parent should do as a child with special needs turns 18, or how a grandparent should leave money to a child with special needs.

     Each day we take steps to improve our firm so that we can continue to provide quality, comprehensive services to our clients. I, personally, feel grateful to work with the dedicated, caring team of professionals at Steinbacher & Stahl. I am also blessed to be able to serve our clients. It is a privilege to be able to counsel a spouse caring for his wife with Alzheimer’s and to help him take the steps to ensure both he and his wife will be able to stay home as long as possible.