Married couples facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis should consider planning with a competent Elder Law Attorney as early on as possible for a few reasons.
One reason being, people often make the assumption that if you’re married, that automatically gives you the legal right to take care of everything for each other. That’s not the case, which is why you need to make sure the proper powers of attorney are in place.
Also, you have to be concerned about paying for it. With the right planning, assets can generally be well-protected through the spouse who is not the one with Alzheimer’s, who is not the one incurring the expenses.
In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson, Southern Illinois Elder Law attorney, presents another topic covered in The Alzheimer’s Guide: Practical Advice for Families, Caregivers and Professionals and discusses the importance of engaging in planning when one spouse of a married couple begins the Alzheimer’s journey and looks for nursing home care.
Alzheimer’s and Nursing Home Care: If You’re Married, You Really Need to Plan
Transcript:
Hi, I’m Wes Coulson from Dent-Coulson Elder Law in O’Fallon proudly serving the Metro East area in Illinois and also the entire St. Louis metropolitan area. I want to talk to you today about another one of the subjects that is covered in our Alzheimer’s Guide, which you’re welcome to get your free copy of, and that is the importance of engaging in planning when one spouse of a married couple begins the Alzheimer’s journey.
Let’s start with the fact, the idea that people make the assumption that if you’re married, that automatically gives you the legal right to take care of everything for each other. That’s not the case. There are a lot of instances – IRAs, contesting bills – in which one spouse doesn’t have authority to act for the other unless there’s a Power of Attorney in place. So, you need to have those Powers of Attorney in place.
Also, you have to be concerned about paying for it. With the right planning, assets can generally be well-protected through the spouse who is not the one with Alzheimer’s, who is not the one incurring the expenses. But, that’s something that you’re wise to do in advance of when things have progressed to the point where you’re looking at facility care.
So, my advice here is pretty simple. If you’ve received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, and you’re married and that’s going to afflict one of you, come in and see a competent Elder Law Attorney like me and we can help you with planning that’s going to make you much better prepared for the journey that lies ahead. Thanks.
For more topics from The Alzheimer’s Guide, visit these articles:
- Can Someone Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s Still Execute Legal Documents?
- Memory Care: The relatively new option for Alzheimer’s care
- Alzheimer’s and the Five-Year Look-Back Period: The time to plan is NOW!
“Your Trusted Advisor on the Elder Care Journey”
Dent-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 Dent-Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (618)632-7000 or (314)567-9292 or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.
