Special Needs Disability Financial and                                                                                                 Estate Planning

                                                                                                 Serious and Nagging Questions Faced by those Disabled/Caregivers                                                                                                    or Parents of Children with Disabilities

                                                                                                 1.  Who will care for me or my disabled child when I am no longer                                                                                                        able to do so?

                                                                                                 2.  Will my own medical needs and the catastrophic costs of long-                                                                                                      term care deplete my assets so that little or nothing will be left                                                                                                          for my disabled child?

                                                                                                 3.  Can my child maintain eligibility for government benefits and                                                                                                          services, housing subsidies and other need-based public supports?

Planning for the Disabled

Canadians are living longer than they did in years past, including those

with disabilities. According to a recent Human Resource and Development

Canada (HRDC), 4.4 million Canadians — one in seven — now has a

disability, an increase from earlier this decade.  This figure does not include

adult children with other disabilities and those who live separately, but still depend on their parents for vital support.

When these parents can no longer care for their children due to their own disability or death, the responsibility will fall on siblings, other family members, and the community. In many cases, expenses will increase dramatically when care and guidance provided by parents must instead be provided by a professional for a fee.

Planning by parents can make all the difference in the life of a child with a disability as well as that of his or her siblings who may be left with the responsibility for caregiving on top of their own careers and caring for their own families and, possibly, ailing parents.