Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Caregivers, Elder Law, General Interest

Alzheimer’s and Affected Loved Ones

By Rick Law, elder law and estate planning attorney at the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law, a multi-generation law firm serving seniors, boomers, and their families in the Chicago suburb of Aurora, IL. Alzheimer’s disease has no known cure, and managing its’ effects daily is a guessing game at best. The Alzheimer’s care journey can be long and scary and fraught with perils.  But a qualified and experienced elder law attorney may be able to assist in creating a care plan that is properly suited to all those involved. As the affected loved one’s care needs increase, your elder lawyer will understand how best to draft personal-care agreements and how to review assisted-living facility and nursing home contracts. The invisible obstacles that confront lawyers and their clients when drafting a personal-care agreement among family members and the hidden traps within many standard nursing home contracts are often revealed as the full extent of one’s diagnosis is revealed. The first stage of this journey, “memory loss ignored,” does not mean that loved ones are ignoring the senior’s memory loss. The person affected, as well as the loved ones, may be dismissing the memory loss as part of the aging process. An individual in the early stages of Alzheimer’s is often in good physical health, which makes it much easier to dismiss the occasional lapses in memory. The person feels good, looks good, and makes perfect sense most of the time. Affected loved ones are often on a similar journey. A woman received a phone call from her grandmother asking her how to make spaghetti. The grandmother had been making spaghetti for more than 50 years, but now her memory was failing her in simple daily tasks. The woman visited her grandmother and was shocked to see the messy condition of the home and her grandmother’s personal appearance. Even more surprising was her grandfather’s state of confusion. Clearly, both of them were in need of assistance, but neither one was willing to ask for help. If your loved one has memory problems and you’re afraid of the consequences that may bring, give our office a call today at 800-310-3100.  Your first consultation is absolutely free.  We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family.  Call now. Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future.  Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care.  Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!