Dementia & Incapacity Planning

Is planning for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other forms of Dementia different than traditional estate planning?

Yes, meaningfully different. Ordinary estate planning is mostly about what happens after death. Planning after a dementia diagnosis is about the years before it: preserving decision-making authority while capacity remains, funding care that will likely be long and expensive, and protecting a spouse.

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How Do I Stop Mom or Dad From Writing Checks or Making Poor Financial Decisions?

A power of attorney does not do it. A POA gives your agent authority to act alongside your parent, but it does not take away your parent’s own authority. While they have capacity they can keep writing checks, and the only way to remove that ability is a court conservatorship, which is a serious step

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How do I deal effectively with agitation from my loved one with Alzheimer’s or Dementia?

Do not argue or correct. Agitation in dementia is usually communication rather than defiance, and it is often triggered by pain, hunger, tiredness, overstimulation, or a change in routine. Stay calm, redirect rather than reason, simplify the environment, and look for the unmet need behind the behavi

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Why should you use an attorney instead of the “Do It Yourself” route when it comes to your estate planning documents?

Because the mistakes are invisible until the moment they cannot be fixed. Online forms assume everyone is the same, do not check Georgia’s execution requirements, do not ask whether your power of attorney contains the authority you will need for long-term care, and never verify that your trust was f

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