June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. There are over 55 million people living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Alzheimer’s can interfere with your memory, thinking, behavior and overall daily lifestyle. Alzheimer’s, like other diseases, can worsen over time. It is important to prepare early in life for Alzheimer’s or other diseases that affect you and impact your decision making. When planning early, you can be involved and express any wishes or decisions you would like to make in the future. It is always better to plan ahead, before a crisis happens, than to be left trying to figure out what to do once it has.
Upon diagnosis, it is important to contact trusted family or friends about your diagnosis. While for some it may feel difficult to tell others about a diagnosis like this, it is important to make those closest to you aware so they can look out for signs that your illness may be worsening. It is also good to have support from loved ones during this difficult time.
Next you should contact a lawyer to review your estate plan. When looking at legal planning, it is important to make sure that your plan accounts for any medical needs or long-term care you may have, as well as for any financial decisions that may be needed or property that may need to be maintained. While not always impossible, planning can be much harder to do after a diagnosis, so it is important to plan ahead so you are prepared for when you need it.
We have experience dealing with many different kinds of estate planning challenges, including elder law and planning with medical challenges in mind, and our goal is to make the process as simple as possible for you and your family. If you have any questions about estate planning, give us a call. We would love to schedule a complimentary consultation with you.
