As soon as you are about to care for an elderly person with Alzheimer’s, you should review your loved one’s durable power of attorney for finances and your advance health care directives. Unfortunately, if that person is not sane in mind or body (especially if he has mild to advanced Alzheimer’s), then it is too late to prepare these important legal documents. However, if you go to court and ask the judge to appoint you guardian (either full or financial guardianship), then you will be responsible for your elder’s legal and financial decisions.

durable power of attorney

A durable power of attorney names you as the person to pay the senior’s bills, collect and deposit their income, and handle any other financial matters. You will need to find your elder’s legal and financial documents and become comfortable with his assets, income, and expenses.

Here is a list of documents you need to gather:

or wills

o Bank and brokerage accounts

o Deeds, loans and declarations of ownership

o Pensions and retirement benefits

o Social security information

o Insurance policies

As someone who is caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s, you should know that Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease and that the level of care can grow and change over time. She will need to consider the cost of long-term care, prescription drugs, and home care services. There are several ways you can cover the costs of long-term care including looking at your senior’s employer insurance plan (group and retiree coverage), disability insurance, Medicare and Medigap, and long-term care insurance. term. Your elder may also qualify for social security disability and/or Medicaid. And don’t forget about community programs to help with meals, respite care and transportation.

Advance Health Care Directives

Advance health care directives ensure that your senior’s health care requests are communicated to health care providers and that you, as guardian, act on your senior’s behalf. Advance health care directives also include a living will that tells health care providers what your elder would prefer if they become incapacitated. The living will gives preferences for life-prolonging treatments, such as the use of a ventilator, CPR, dialysis, surgery, and antibiotics. The elder and guardian can choose to receive all, some, or none of the life-prolonging treatments. The living will should also state if your elder wants food and water to be given artificially when he or she is near death.

Here is a checklist of other advanced healthcare guidelines:

o Designate your Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care who will consent or withhold consent (which would normally be the guardian). He or she can also fire and hire medical personnel, gain access to medical records, and obtain court authorization.

o Appointment of physician to oversee care.

o Identify and specify treatments given or withheld (listed above in the living will)

o Express feelings about care: does the elder want full doses of pain relievers each time?

o Provide instructions for organ donation.

After all the papers have been signed and notarized, be sure to make many copies and keep the originals in a safe, with other copies available at any time. Turning over the details of your loved one with Alzheimer’s is a lot of work, but a lot of time and agony will be saved if financial, legal, and health care matters are well planned before your loved one moves into an assisted living facility. or if additional home service care is needed.

Resources: Alzheimer’s Association 225 N. Michigan Ave. 17 Chicago, IL 60601-7633 1-800-272-3900

Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center PO Box 8250 Silver Spring, MD 20907-8250 1-800-438-4380