Discussing Long-Term Care With Older Adults in Your Life
When your loved one can no longer live independently, you may consider options for long-term care. It?s time to talk to your...
Read moreIn the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), a growing number of start-up companies are offering a unique and emotionally powerful service: creating AI-generated voice models that allow people to hear a deceased family member’s voice after they are gone.
These services, sometimes referred to as voice preservation, digital simulation, digital voice twin, or AI voice cloning, use samples of a person’s speech to create a lifelike, adaptable version of their voice. With appropriate permissions, family members can hear a departed loved one deliver personal messages, read favorite poems, tell family stories, or even answer questions in a simulated conversation.
Estate planning has traditionally focused on tangible assets, such as property, heirlooms, and financial accounts, as well as related documents, such as wills and trusts. But in a world where connection and memory can hold more value than physical goods, many people are beginning to view intangible assets as equally, if not more, important.
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Voice, especially, is deeply tied to memory and emotion. A familiar laugh or a phrase spoken with a particular rhythm or accent can evoke strong feelings that photos and videos sometimes cannot. By incorporating an AI voice model into estate plans, individuals are leaving behind not just a record of their existence, but a sensory, deeply personal experience of their presence.
Voice preservation companies, such as Eternos, typically guide clients through simple set-up steps, including:
It is important to use a company that employs strict security measures to ensure the AI voice is used only with clear, documented consent.
Forward-thinking estate planners are beginning to recommend clients consider digital and emotional legacies alongside their financial ones. Some ways individuals are using AI voice technology in this context include:
Including voice models in an estate plan can also ensure that rights to the AI version of one’s voice are clearly designated, protecting against misuse and ensuring access for intended family members only.
Interestingly, celebrities have been among those exploring the realm of AI voice cloning. The late James Earl Jones, before his death in 2022, signed over to Lucasfilm the rights to use his voice for Darth Vader.
Though the idea of a voice that lives on may be exciting, it also raises important ethical and emotional questions:
As with any part of estate planning, it’s important to discuss these elements with an attorney and ensure they are legally and ethically incorporated into a formal estate plan.
The rise of AI voice technology offers a profound opportunity to give loved ones not just memories, but an enduring connection to the spirit of the person they lost. In blending technology with tradition, individuals can now leave behind something more meaningful than material goods, the sound of their voice, laughter, and wisdom.
Contact an estate planning attorney in your area to learn how you can leave a meaningful legacy for your living and future family. This can include helping you to execute key estate planning documents, such as a durable financial power of attorney, a revocable living trust, or an advance health care advance directive.
For additional reading about the overlap of technology and estate planning, check out the following articles:
When your loved one can no longer live independently, you may consider options for long-term care. It?s time to talk to your...
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Read moreIn addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.
READ MORETo be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.
READ MORESpouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.
READ MOREIn addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.
READ MORETo be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.
READ MORESpouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.
READ MORECareful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.
READ MOREIf steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.
READ MOREThere are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.
READ MORECareful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.
READ MOREIf steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.
READ MOREThere are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.
READ MOREMost states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.
READ MOREApplying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.
READ MOREMedicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.
READ MOREMost states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.
READ MOREApplying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.
READ MOREMedicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.
READ MOREDistinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.
READ MORELearn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.
READ MOREUnderstand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.
READ MOREWe need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.
READ MOREDistinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.
READ MORELearn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.
READ MOREUnderstand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.
READ MOREWe need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.
READ MOREUnderstand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.
READ MORELearn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.
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READ MOREFind out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.
READ MOREUnderstand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.
READ MOREWe explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.
READ MOREFind out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.
READ MOREGet a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.
READ MORELearn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.
READ MOREExplore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.
READ MOREGet a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.
READ MORELearn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.
READ MOREExplore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.
READ MORE