November is National Family Caregivers Month! We frequently hear from Texans who are looking for information on caregiving for an elderly or disabled person. These people can be in many different roles: family members caring for a relative, attorneys drafting legal documents that outline crucial medical and financial decisions for elderly clients, or seniors interested in planning for their future. Whatever your role may be, we likely have a resource in our library that can help you understand the road ahead. 

Here's a selection of titles available remotely that touch on various aspects of caregiving and planning for the elderly or disabled. Texas residents can sign up for a free account with us to access e-books, legal databases, CLEs, and more remotely. If you don't already have an account with us, feel free to register for one through our website. 

This is a short selection of some of our titles on this subject. If you'd like to browse the rest of our selection, check out the following subjects in our Digital Collection: 

Elder Law

Disability Law

Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning

E-books on Caregiving and Estate Planning

For the Public

Just getting started with family caregiving and need some basic pointers? These titles are written with a general audience in mind.

Long-term care: How to plan and pay for it

We can't recommend Nolo titles enough when it comes to basic, straightforward information on complicated topics, and this title on planning for long-term care is no exception. This book will help you weigh the various options for care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living, and at-home care. It also breaks down Medicare and Medicaid coverage, veterans' benefits, and long-term care insurance. 

A short and happy guide to elder law

Short, sweet, and with a nice sense of humor, this title is aimed at anyone directly involved with helping seniors, including caregivers and their families, healthcare and social workers, volunteers, and legal professionals. It covers daily care, estate planning, medical care, finances and housing, disability and dementia, and funeral and burial concerns, while also offering practical advice on working with seniors. Part 4 specifically deals with the basics of caring for others and making legal, financial, and medical decisions on their behalf. 

Estate planning basics

This Nolo title is an excellent place to start for people who want to get their affairs in order. Written for a general American audience, this book covers the basics of writing a will, establishing a living trust, caring for children after your death, estate taxes, probate, retirement savings, and more. Sample estate plans for people in various situations are included for people who would like to get a sense of how estate planning may typically work.

Estate planning for people with a chronic condition or disability 

There are special considerations with estate planning for those who have a chronic disability or illness, and this book can help you sift through these considerations and figure out what you need. Chapters in this book cover powers of attorney, ensuring access to your medical records, designating a caregiver to make medical decisions, and establishing a will and living trust. Other considerations like charitable giving are also covered in detail. 

For Attorneys

If you're an attorney who works in elder law, you may find these drafting guides and forms books helpful.

Texas estate planning

Aimed at attorneys, this Texas-specific title covers client communications, non-probate assets, community property considerations, and ancillary documents like powers of attorney and guardianship agreements. It's also filled with sample forms for estate planning, including various types of wills and revocable and irrevocable trusts. Cites to relevant Texas statutes and case law appear throughout, and you can find a table of cases cited at the end of the book.

Texas probate, estate, and trust administration

This Matthew Bender title is likely our most popular resource for attorneys when it comes to Texas estate planning, probate matters, and trust administration. This huge, multivolume set delves into every detail of Texas law on probate and estate administration and includes sample forms, checklists, tables of Texas and federal statutes, etc. This book is in high demand, so we're happy to supply a small excerpt if you're not able to check it out right away. Check out the table of contents for a look at what is covered.

Texas guardianship manual

If you're an attorney helping establish or administer guardianship for a client, you may want to check out the Texas guardianship manual. This manual from the State Bar of Texas covers the process in detail, from exploring alternatives to guardianship or setting up guardianship measures, establishing a temporary guardianship in an emergency situation, modifying the terms, or closing out a guardianship. Sample forms and instructions are included for each task. 

Elder law forms manual: essential documents for representing the older client

This book is indispensable for attorneys who work regularly with seniors and provides templates for a large variety of tasks related to elder law.  Along with sample forms for drafting wills, trusts, powers of attorney, guardianship documents, and estate administration, this title also contains forms for the daily ins and outs of managing a legal practice in elder law, like case and personnel management and managing client meetings. Attorneys may also find the flowcharts for long-term care planning, tax considerations, estate planning, and supplemental needs particularly helpful.

Looking for more on these topics? You may want to look at our Elder Law research guide for more details about specific Texas laws and resources on caregiving, estate planning, and more. You can also reach out to us with any questions you may have!