• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Communities We Serve
      • Cook County
        • Barrington
        • Glenview
        • Northbrook
        • Skokie
      • Lake County
        • Gurnee
        • Lincolnshire
        • Riverwoods
        • Vernon Hills
        • Waukegan
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Resources
    • Client Resources
      • Free Seminars
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Probate Resources
        • Glenview Probate
        • Lake Forest Probate
        • Lincolnshire Probate
        • Northbrook Probate
        • Vernon Hills Probate
        • Waukegan Probate
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Asset Protection
      • Business Succession Planning
      • Estate Planning
      • Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Financial Planning Assistance
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Probate
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Trusts
    • Legacy Wealth Planning
    • Published Books
    • Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning for Niches
      • Trust Administration
  • BLOG
  • Contact Us
  • Review Us

Hedeker Law

Illinois Estate Planning Attorneys

Connect with us today(847) 913-5415

Attend a Free Seminar
Home / Elder Law / Steps to Take after an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Steps to Take after an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

May 7, 2019Elder Law

Lincolnshire elder law attorneysIf you find yourself facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis it can be very easy to feel as though you have lost control of your future. Sometimes, focusing on the steps that need to be taken in the aftermath of a diagnosis can provide you with a focus and may help you feel like you are doing something to take back that lost control. With that in mind, the Lincolnshire elder law attorneys at Hedeker Law, Ltd. discuss some steps you should take after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, deterioration of thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes. These neurons, which produce the brain chemical, or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, break connections with other nerve cells and ultimately die. For example, short-term memory fails when Alzheimer’s disease first destroys nerve cells in the hippocampus, and language skills and judgment decline when neurons die in the cerebral cortex. Unlike many other diseases, such as AIDS, experts do not believe Alzheimer’s has a single cause. Instead, they believe the disease is multi-faceted with a number of factors influencing the development of the disease. The complexity of the disease makes finding a cure, and even effective treatment for those suffering from the disease, more difficult. While there are some medications on the market now that help slow the cognitive decline that is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s for some people, we are not yet close to finding a truly effective treatment regime, much less a cure.

Steps to Take After a Diagnosis

Unfortunately, it is common for everyone involved to feel helpless after an Alzheimer diagnosis. Taking the following steps can help you regain a certain amount of control over your life and your future as well as help protect your loved ones and yourself:

  • Review your estate plan with a focus on incapacity planning. The progression of Alzheimer’s is far from predictable; however, at some point down the road, you will reach the point at which you are legally incapacitated. To ensure that someone of your choosing takes over control of your assets as well as personal decision-making for you, make sure you have an incapacity plan in place now.
  • Review any existing Powers of Attorney. A traditional Power of Attorney (POA) terminates upon the incapacity of the Principal (creator). If you want a POA to survive your incapacity you must make it durable. Keep in mind, however, that in most states, an Agent cannot make end of life health care decisions even with a general POA. For that, you will need an advance directive.
  • Make sure you have an advanced directive in place. If you have strong feelings about end of life medical treatment, the only way to ensure that your wishes are honored is to execute an advance directive that expresses those wishes and/or appoints an Agent to make decisions for you when you are unable to make them yourself.
  • Prepare for the cost of long-term care. Most Alzheimer sufferers eventually need the type of around the clock care and protection that is only available at a long-term care facility. The cost of that care will undoubtedly be prohibitive which is why you need to plan for it now. Like over half of all seniors today, you may need to rely on Medicaid to cover the cost of LTC. To ensure that you qualify for Medicaid when the time comes, incorporate Medicaid planning into your estate plan today.
  • Write down your wishes for your family. Family members often struggle with how best to care for someone with Alzheimer’s.  Unfortunately, conflict may even occur if family members cannot agree on some aspect of your care. To help prevent that and provide some direction, write down your wishes with regard to care, finances, and anything else you feel is important and make sure everyone gets a copy.

Contact a Lincolnshire Elder Law Attorney

For additional information, please download our FREE estate planning worksheet. If you have additional questions or concerns about what to do after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, contact the experienced Lincolnshire elder law attorneys at Hedeker Law, Ltd. by calling (847) 913-5415 to schedule an appointment.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Dean R. Hedeker
Dean R. Hedeker
Dean Hedeker is a leading Chicago-area authority on estate and tax planning, business law and investments. A long-time resident of north suburban Lincolnshire, Dean has more than 35-years experience helping business owners and families grow, protect and pass on their hard-earned money through tax planning, estate planning and investment management services.
Dean R. Hedeker
Latest posts by Dean R. Hedeker (see all)
  • How Can I Terminate a Living Trust? - September 24, 2019
  • Is an AB Trust Right for My Estate Plan? - September 12, 2019
  • How Can I Include Philanthropy in My Estate Plan? - September 4, 2019

Other Articles You May Find Useful

elder abuse
Reports Confirm that Health Workers Fail to Report Suspected Elder Abuse
senior
Seniors Beware of Scams Following Floods
senior suicide
Why Are Senior Suicide Rates So High?
Lincolnshire elder law attorneys
When Should I Start Receiving Social Security Retirement Benefits?
incapacity planning
Moonwalker Sues Children for Misuse of Finances
robot caregivers
Survey Gauges American’s Feelings on Robot Caregivers for the Elderly

Primary Sidebar

FREE ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHEET

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • link
  • youtube

Testimonials

Client Review
September 8, 2020
    

Dean's knowledge is very comprehensive and current. He not only sees and understands the particular question but he puts it in the context my particular matter and to the overall business and tax environment. Dean has been my attorney for many (over 20) years. I am also an attorney but I would never make a tax, business or financial decision without his extraordinary advice and counsel.

default image
Raymond

Where We Are

LINCOLNSHIRE
1 Overlook Point, Suite 610,
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Phone: (847) 913-5415

See Larger Map Get Directions

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Office Hours

Monday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Map

hedeker_sidbr_map

Footer

  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • link
  • youtube
footer-logo

Hedeker Law Ltd.
All Right Reseved.

Attorney Advertisement

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.