Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease and unfortunately people with Alzheimer’s will eventually lose their capacity to make decisions. So, it’s important that certain legal documents, especially powers of attorney, are not only in place, but done so that they will still serve their purposes at the time that it is going to be needed the most. For powers of attorney, this means they need to be durable.
In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson, Southern Illinois Elder Law attorney, discusses another topic covered in The Alzheimer’s Guide: Practical Advice for Families, Caregivers and Professionals and explains why the powers of attorney documents need to be durable.
Alzheimer’s and Why Powers of Attorney Need to be Durable
Transcript:
Hi, I’m Wes Coulson and this is your Elder Law Minute. This is another one in our series of videos on Alzheimer’s planning and while I’m mentioning that I will invite you again to contact us to get a copy of your free Alzheimer’s Guide, there’s a lot of good stuff in here.
What I want to talk to you about today is powers of attorney for someone with Alzheimer’s and why they need to be durable. So, what does durable mean in this sense?
Well, what it means is that if the person who signed it later becomes incompetent or incapacitated, that circumstance is not going to cause that power of attorney to no longer be effective. So, since Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, and unfortunately people with Alzheimer’s will eventually lose competency, lose capacity, we need to make sure that a power of attorney is still going to serve its purposes at the time that is going to be most needed. Thanks.
For more information on Alzheimer’s Guide Topics, visit these articles
- Can Someone Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s Still Execute Legal Documents?
- Essential Legal Document’s Anyone With Alzheimer’s Needs to Have in Place
- Alzheimer’s and the Powers of Attorney for Property: Why the document’s specific language matters so much
“Your Trusted Advisor on the Elder Care Journey”
Coulson Elder Law is dedicated to providing families in the St. Louis area with their Elder Law needs. Our practice areas include Asset Preservation Planning, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid Eligibility, Alzheimer’s Planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning and more. We understand the financial challenges you may face as you and your loved ones grow older. At Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (877)995-6876 or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.
