Americans are living longer. The 2020 US Census demonstrates that the average life expectancy for males was 74.5 years and 80.2 years for females compared with an average 71.9 years fifty years ago. We have come out of the Covid-19 pandemic – albeit with terrible loss of life – but with a better understanding of communicable disease and the likelihood of even greater longevity. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that the demographics also show that half of all persons who attain 85 years of age will be unable to perform the basic activities of daily living because of physical or cognitive illness. The large majority of those incapacitated persons who cannot perform personal and financial tasks for themselves have not signed legal documents designating others to act for them. A guardianship proceeding may be then be the best course of action.
