Alzheimer's Disease Law
Better safe then sorry!
It is probably for the best in any Senior Care situation to obtain the legal advice from a knowledgeable attorney whose expertise lies in elder law and related matters. Such law specializes in the legal issues and services of elderly care and requires high degree of professionalism and expertise to represent well.
"The lives of most people are closely bound with the law and old people are no exception. The aged may need to secure help from relatives and friends to attend to business matters or even in simple activities of daily living. This is easy if one has the intellectual ability to do it. Otherwise, someone can be requested or appointed to do whatever is necessary."
Credited to the World Health Organization
w3.whosea.org
Important Documents
- Power of attorney:
Gives a person with Alzheimer's disease (the principal) an opportunity to authorize an agent -- usually a trusted family member or friend -- to make legal decisions when he or she is no longer competent. - Power of attorney for health care:
Appoints an agent to make all decisions regarding health care, including choices regarding health care providers, medical treatment, and, in the later stages of the disease, end-of-life decisions. - Living will:
Allows the person with Alzheimer's disease to express his or her decision on the use of artificial life support systems. - Living trusts:
Enable a person (the grantor or trustor) to create a trust and appoint himself or herself or someone else as trustee (usually an individual or bank) to carefully invest and manage trust assets once the grantor is no longer able to manage finances because of cognitive impairment. - Will:
Is a document created by an individual that names an executor (the person who will manage the estate) and beneficiaries (those who will receive the estate at the time of the person's death).
Obtaining a well written and clearly defined outline of one's wishes is necessary to deligate and authorize another person as a health and financial decision maker.