November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness month, which makes it all the more important to consider estate planning and the connection between Alzheimer’s and other cognitive problems as we near the end of the year.
At the time that National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month was named in 1983, fewer than 2 million individuals in America were diagnosed with that disease. However, the number of those individuals affected with such a diagnosis has tripled in that time, with nearly 5.4 million Americans currently living with this diagnosis. With proper planning and meeting with an experienced estate planning attorney, adequate provisions could be put into place for an individual who is actively battling this disease.
It is also important to consider estate administration after this person passes in a respectful and dignified manner. The most important factor with Alzheimer’s disease and planning has to do with time. The effectiveness of any legal documents that are drafted depends on the person’s legal capacity to sign estate planning documents. If you suspect that a loved one is cognitively declining or in need of putting together estate planning documents, it’s important to reach out to an experienced attorney as soon as possible about what to do next.
