Have you thought about long term care? You may have thought about it some. We are living longer, and the longer we live, the greater the need for some care. You have probably looked through a few proposals just to see what they’re selling. Would it change your perspective if you knew, really knew that you will need long term care?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that most commonly affects the elderly, but the disease can strike at any age. It affects cognition and in its middle and later stages results in a need for assisted living care. There are some drug therapies that slow the progress of the disease; however there is no cure. There is now available a test that provides an earlier diagnosis. By using radioactive dyes and a PET scan, plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease can be identified.
If you are positively identified as having Alzheimer’s disease, an early diagnosis gives you the capability to make necessary plans in advance for certain needs. Given the destructive nature of the disease, you will reach a point where you are no longer capable of making your own decisions. In advance of that dreaded event, you need to update your total estate plan.
Your living will and power of attorney must be established or updated as needed. The same is true of wills and trusts. Now that you are aware of an eminent need for long term care, plan for it. You have never given a passing thought to these needs. Making your plans now is a gift to your family.
Stephen Unsworth
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