Estate Planning for Those with Alzheimer’s Disease
The Law Office of Angela N. Manz provides valuable resources for families that have loved ones struggling with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Our firm provides comprehensive estate planning services to help your loved one protect their assets after they become incapacitated. If Alzheimer’s Disease runs in your family, it is important to consider these matters as early as possible. While it’s never too late to contact a long-term care attorney, it’s always best for the elders themselves to be involved in the drafting of the estate plan. This means creating the plan before they become legally incapacitated.
What should I do if a parent or spouse has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?
Our attorneys understand that learning about your loved one’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be devastating. You likely don’t know what to do next, but you do understand that the assets your loved one worked so hard for during their lives will need to be protected and used for their benefit. Our attorneys offer financial and emotional support to patients suffering from dementia and their families. It is crucial that you and your loved one work to update your legal, healthcare, and financial matters as quickly as possible.
If your loved one still has the ability to make decisions on their own behalf, you should schedule an appointment to review their estate plan as early as possible. Our attorneys will help you update all relevant legal documents you will need to prepare for the future. You can prepare for your future by:
- Making an inventory of all important legal documents
- Reviewing and updating legal documents as needed
- Making legal plans for financial assets and property
- Making legal plans for long-term care preferences
- Naming someone to make decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able
What if my loved one is legally incapacitated?
Individuals in the later stages of Alzheimer’s Disease will lose their legal capacity to make decisions on their own behalf. In other words, they can no longer sign a legal document. If your loved one can no longer make legal decisions on their own behalf, you may consider pursuing a conservatorship or legal guardianship. This can help you ensure that someone who cares about their well-being is making legal and financial decisions in their best interests.
Our attorneys can help you establish a trusted loved one with power of attorney. A power of attorney document allows the individual to name someone they trust as their agent to make financial and legal decisions on their behalf. Those who fail to establish a power of attorney may be at the mercy of the Virginia courts.
Power of attorney gives a trusted loved one the legal authority to pay bills, hire an attorney, and make financial decisions. This can save you a significant amount of stress when coming up with a care plan for your loved one.
Talk to a Virginia Beach Elder Law Attorney Today
The Law Office of Angela N. Manz helps Virginia Beach residents prepare for long-term health issues, create an estate plan, access government resources, and ensure that they are cared for as debilitating conditions progress. Call our Virginia Beach estate planning lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your needs right away.
