SI Elder Law

11/03/2026

What would happen if you needed care tomorrow?

A fall, a stroke, or a dementia diagnosis can change what it takes to live safely at home. Suddenly, your family may be deciding who can help, where you’ll receive care, and how to pay for it.

November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to start that conversation while you have time to make choices together.

🏠 If you needed help bathing, dressing, or getting around, would you want to stay at home as long as possible?

👥 Who could realistically help, and when would you need paid care?

📋 Who could make health care decisions or manage your finances if you couldn’t?

💵 What resources could you use to pay for care?

At SI Elder Law, Elder Law Attorney Tiffanny H. Sievers helps Southern Illinois families put those answers into a plan. Contact us at 618-997-3500 to schedule a free consultation.

10/29/2026

A crisis is a difficult time to discover your family’s plan is incomplete.

SI Elder Law attorney Tiffanny H. Sievers is bringing that message to the Southern Illinois Pioneer Coalition Annual Symposium in Carbondale today with her presentation, “Before a Crisis: Legal Documents and Decision-Making Authority.”

The coalition works to improve the lives of older adults by promoting care that respects each person’s needs, choices, and dignity. Through education and community partnerships, it helps caregivers and care professionals provide compassionate, personalized support.

Tiffanny’s knowledge of elder law connects that mission to the planning families need before an emergency. Her presentation explores how powers of attorney, wills, trusts, and other planning documents work together and why understanding who can (and can't) make decisions matters just as much as having the paperwork.

Think about the questions your family could face during an unexpected illness or hospital stay:

• Who would help make health care decisions?
• Who would manage bills and financial matters?
• Do those people understand your wishes?
• Does your family know where to find your current documents?

These conversations can feel uncomfortable, but having them now can give your loved ones clearer direction during an already stressful time. Planning ahead is about protecting your voice, supporting your caregivers, and helping the people you trust understand their responsibilities.

Whether you are planning for yourself, helping an aging parent, or reviewing documents signed years ago, take the next step before a crisis hits.

Call SI Elder Law at (618) 997-3500 to schedule a free consultation.

10/27/2026

A loved one needs assisted living or nursing home care. Where do you start?

A fall, illness, or changes in memory can leave families facing difficult decisions quickly. These five steps can help:

1️⃣ Understand the level of care needed.

Talk with your loved one’s medical team about their needs. Assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, and nursing home care offer different services. Include your loved one in the conversation whenever possible.

2️⃣ Visit facilities and ask questions.

Ask about staffing, meals, activities, safety, and how changing care needs are handled. Get a written breakdown of costs — including services that cost extra. Take the contract home and review it to make sure no provisions make you personally responsible for the bill.

3️⃣ Gather important documents.

Locate powers of attorney, insurance policies, income information, bank statements, and estate planning documents. Make sure the appropriate people have authority to help with healthcare and financial decisions.

4️⃣ Understand how care will be paid for.

Review income, savings, long-term care insurance, and potential benefits. Medicare generally does not pay for ongoing custodial care. Medicaid eligibility and coverage depend on the individual’s circumstances and care setting.

5️⃣ Speak with an attorney who focuses on elder law before making major financial moves.

A general practice attorney may handle wills and other legal matters, but long-term care planning requires specific knowledge of Medicaid eligibility, asset protection strategies, and the financial needs of a spouse who remains at home. Look for an attorney who regularly handles these issues.

Before giving away money, transferring a home, or cashing out assets, get advice about how those decisions could affect benefits and your family’s financial security. Even when care is needed now, planning options may still be available.

You don’t have to navigate these decisions alone. Elder Law Attorney Tiffanny H. Sievers and SI Elder Law can help you understand your options, review your legal documents, and develop a plan for the next stage of care.

Call 618-997-3500 to schedule a free consultation. Located in Marion, we serve clients throughout Illinois.

10/19/2026

Your life has changed. Has your estate plan kept up?

A simple will prepared years ago may have made sense when you were younger and had fewer assets. As your savings grow, your family changes and long-term care becomes a concern, that same plan may no longer provide the protection you need.

A will alone does not avoid probate. Without proper planning, assets could be tied up in court after your death, leaving your loved ones with delays, expenses and added stress.

The risks can also arise during your lifetime. One fall, a serious illness, or a cancer or dementia diagnosis can create an unexpected need for care. Without a plan for those costs, the assets you spent a lifetime earning could be depleted paying for that care.

At SI Elder Law, Elder Law Attorney Tiffanny H. Sievers helps families plan for what comes next, with strategies to avoid probate, prepare for long-term care costs and protect the people they love.

Your estate plan should grow with you. Contact SI Elder Law at 618-997-3500 to schedule your free consultation.

10/13/2026

Most of us picture long-term care as something we might need far down the road. Then everyday tasks begin to get harder. Getting dressed takes more effort. Taking a shower feels less safe. Preparing meals or getting to the bathroom becomes something we need help with.

At first, a family member stops by a little more often. Then those visits become part of the daily routine. Before long, everyone is trying to figure out who can be there and when. Someone may need to miss work, and another may be struggling with their own health. The family starts looking around the house, wondering what needs to change to make it safe and accessible.

Then come the conversations about what care will cost, how to pay for it, and who will step in when the usual caregiver needs a break.

Love matters, but caring for someone also takes time, physical effort, coordination, and money. Family caregivers need support, too.

That’s why planning ahead starts with a conversation about your wishes, your resources, and the help you would be comfortable accepting. You don’t have to solve everything at once.

Talk while you have time to make choices. A little preparation today can make a difficult season easier for everyone involved.

Elder Law Attorney Tiffanny H. Sievers can help you and your family start that conversation. Call 618-997-3500 to schedule a free consultation.

10/08/2026

09/22/2026

What a fascinating history behind our location. We are honored to continue its legacy as a place where businesses and professionals serve our community through financial, legal, insurance, and other professional services.

Anchored by SI Elder Law, our building is also home to Kingspointe Consulting, LLC, J. F. Zagotta & Associates, LLC, Rogers Strategic Wealth, WoundGen, and the insurance offices of Aaron Hale and Terry Grisson. Through Marion Share Space, we provide professional conference and meeting spaces for mediations, depositions, team meetings, and other business needs.

We are proud to be part of this building’s history and to see it continue serving the professional and business community of Southern Illinois.

09/08/2026

There comes a point when love alone isn’t enough to provide the level of care someone needs.

Maybe Mom is no longer safe at home. Maybe Dad needs more help than the family can realistically provide. You know assisted living, memory care, or nursing home care may be the right next step, but then you see the cost.

And suddenly, you’re not just worried about their health. You’re worried about their life savings too.

Families often assume they have only two choices: continue struggling to provide care at home or spend everything they’ve worked a lifetime to build paying for long-term care.

There may be another option.

Elder Law Attorney Tiffanny H. Sievers helps families plan for the financial realities of long-term care. With the right estate planning and asset protection strategies, it may be possible to protect assets while helping your loved one qualify for available long-term care benefits.

The key is having a plan designed for more than simply passing assets to the next generation. It should also address what happens if long-term care becomes necessary during your lifetime.

If your family is facing these difficult decisions, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Contact SI Elder Law at 618-997-3500 to schedule a free consultation and learn what options may be available for your family.

09/07/2026

SI Elder Law will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day. Our office will reopen on Tuesday, September 8.

08/25/2026

A trust isn’t just for the wealthy. It can be a valuable estate planning tool for families who own a home, have savings or investments, want to avoid probate, or simply want more control over how their assets are handled.

A trust is a legal arrangement that holds and manages assets for the people you choose. You create the trust, decide who will benefit, and establish instructions for how those assets should be managed and distributed. Depending on the type of trust and your goals, it may help:

• Avoid probate
• Protect and manage assets
• Provide for a spouse, children, or grandchildren
• Plan for incapacity
• Make the transfer of assets at death easier and more private
• Protect assets from the cost of long-term care when proper advance planning is used

The right trust depends on your family, your assets, and what you want your estate plan to accomplish.

Call SI Elder Law at 618-997-3500 to schedule a free consultation and find out whether a trust makes sense for your family.