Alzheimer's Planning Attorney
in Welsh, Louisiana

Learning that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia can completely disrupt your life. If this is your current reality, you may wonder what you can do to prepare. It is essential to talk to an attorney who is experienced in helping people with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairment to develop a plan for your future. An Alzheimer's planning attorney can help you feel empowered to maintain control and be confident in the care for you or your family member.

Take the First Step to Create a Plan As Soon As Possible

It is never too early to start making a plan. When you or your loved one receives an Alzheimer's diagnosis, it is crucial to create a plan as soon as possible. Only people who have the legal capacity to make decisions can form an estate plan and health care plan for themselves. Legal capacity is sometimes described as being “of sound mind,” meaning that you understand your circumstances and the consequences of your decisions. Once cognitive impairment has reached later stages, estate and healthcare planning for that person becomes more complicated and may require intervention from the Courts. This is because as someone loses memory, cognitive ability, and language, it makes it difficult for them to understand issues and make informed decisions.

Some of the essential legal planning needs for people with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairment include making estate planning decisions, including finances and distribution of property, preparing for long-term care and health care needs, and naming another person to make financial and healthcare decisions on behalf of the person.

Estate planning for a person with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairment can be broken into two categories: financial matters and healthcare decisions.

Creating a Financial Plan

One of the biggest categories of financial decisions to consider is how to manage existing finances if or when capacity begins to wane. A way to plan for this is to create a Durable Power of Attorney for Finances, in which you give control over financial assets and decisions to a named trusted person. This type of legal document can authorize someone to pay bills for you, sell assets if needed, and manage other finances such as bank accounts and retirement accounts in your place.

An experienced attorney can create this type of document to best suit your circumstances. The Power of Attorney can be drafted to give this authority to another person effective immediately or effective only when there is diminished capacity. Another financial consideration is whether you have a plan in place to afford and manage to pay for long-term care, should you need it. I can help you to formulate a plan for managing existing finances and for long-term care expenses.

Managing Healthcare Decisions

Healthcare decisions can be emotional decisions for someone to make for another person. Creating advance directives can help you to maintain control and create a plan. They also help you determine what you may want to happen in a medical setting if you lose physical or mental capacity.

Advance directives include a Durable Power of Attorney for healthcare decisions and Wills, both a living will and last will and testament. A power of attorney for healthcare or healthcare proxy allows another person to make important decisions about your medical care, including refusing treatment, refusing artificial life-support, and signing a do-not-resuscitate order. A living will is an important tool that explains how a person who is physically or mentally incapacitated wants to be treated when faced with specific medical situations. Having discussions about these difficult topics with family members and an experienced attorney may be difficult, but it is an important step in planning for the future.

If you or a loved one has received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairment, it is so important to call an experienced attorney who has developed realistic and compassionate strategies to help you plan for the future. I am here to help people in Welsh, Louisiana, and the neighboring areas of Lake Charles, Lafayette, Crowley, Jennings, and Iowa work through legal strategies for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, to help protect financial and healthcare decisions with dignity.

Alzheimer's Planning Attorney in Welsh, Louisiana

Creating an Estate Plan for your or your loved one with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairment is a crucial step in planning for future financial and health care decisions. At the Law Offices of Charles Bull, I can walk you through this important process and strive to see your legal rights and future wishes are protected.