Legal, Financial & Medical Planning
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Legal, financial and health-related planning is something all of
us ought to do, regardless of dementia. It is also best to consider
life-planning decisions while the person with dementia is able to
thoughtfully consider options and voice their values. It is good
to be prepared for urgent situations that may occur. There are a
variety of legal, financial and health-related issues to be considered.
Attorney: You may want to obtain legal advice from an attorney and discuss matters
with family members. Legal advice and services may be obtained by hiring an attorney.
Agency: There are often agencies in your community that offer
free legal advice and services.
National organizations: The Alzheimer’s Association, Family Caregiver Alliance
and others often offer lectures by legal experts.
Conservatorship: In
some cases, a conservatorship may be established, in which the
court, along with an individual appointed by the court, makes decisions
for the person who is not able to make decisions for themselves.
For more detailed information:
Legal and Financial Planning
Some of the issues that you may need to consider include money
management, protection of assets, and decisions about appropriate
places to live as care needs change. It is recommended that you
appoint a person who will know where your important papers are
located and to have a plan for handling legal and financial matters
in the event you are unable. Again, it is best to consider these
issues while the person with dementia is able to participate in
discussions and planning.
Legal documents commonly used include:
- Durable power of
attorney appoints an agent (someone trusted) to make
legal and financial decisions if the person is unable to make
decisions themselves.
- Living trusts,
through an agent, manage assets and investments.
- A will documents
an executor (person who will manage the estate) and the beneficiaries
(those who receive the estate at the time of the person’s
death).
For more detailed information:
Medical Planning
Throughout one’s life, it may be necessary to seek medical
care, advice and treatment. The person with dementia will require
periodic medical attention for the dementia. They may have other
concurrent health conditions requiring attention and treatment.
It is advisable to form a relationship with healthcare providers
that you feel comfortable with and trust, and that share common
values in regard to care and treatment. It is also a good idea
to become familiar with your health plan as they often vary according
to the types of care and services they provide. Treatment decisions
should be individualized according to the patient’s stated
preferences, known values, and in consideration to the severity
of the patient’s dementia and the prognosis. Consideration
of end-of-life planning can be done early in the life cycle. This
may include discussion regarding aggressiveness of treatment, resuscitation
decisions, review of medication usage, and hospice. Many families
elect to have autopsy performed after death in order to confirm
the diagnosis.
Advance directives document your wishes regarding treatment and
care. If the person with dementia is unable to make or communicate
their wishes, the advance directive provides information about
what the person would like done. There are two forms of advance
directives:
- A living will outlines
choices for medical care, including the use of artificial life
support. The living will allows the person to state their preferences
regarding the use of mechanical ventilators, cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR), feeding tubes, etc.
- Durable power of attorney for health care allows the person to appoint an agent
(someone they trust) to make all decisions regarding health
care. In the event the person becomes unable to make decisions
themselves, the appointed person acts on their behalf.
For more detailed information:
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