Alzheimers Awareness Month: How Does Alzheimer’s Affect You?
Throughout Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, our team are discussing a range of topics surrounding Alzheimer’s. Today we hear from Wills and Probate Solicitor, Charlotte Day who discusses “How Does Alzheimer’s Affect You?”…
World Alzheimer’s Day takes place on 21 September and is part of World Alzheimer’s Month which takes place throughout September. This year’s theme is ‘the power of knowledge’ which aims to encourage people to know and recognise the signs of dementia so that a diagnosis can be obtained as soon as possible. A quick diagnosis and a good understanding of the disease can mean better and quicker access to the right care and support.
Alzheimer’s is just one type of dementia and in fact there are many different types of dementia. Getting the diagnosis early and understanding the type of dementia the person is living with can really help them to maintain independence for as long as possible and to feel supported.
Dementia is a disease of the brain which can affect different functions of the brain i.e. memory, mobility, speech, and bodily functions. Each diagnosis is individual so the impact of the dementia on the brain functions and the progression of the dementia is likely to vary.
Alzheimer’s has been described as having quite a ‘step-like’ progression. For example, someone who is living with Alzheimer’s may be relatively stable for a time before suddenly dropping a function of their brain, then stabilise again, before dropping another.
What Can I Do To Help Someone With Dementia?
If you believe that someone may have the signs of dementia, then it is important to approach the GP as soon as possible. In addition, you may wish to seek some advice and support from the Alzheimer’s Society.
Getting an early diagnosis may also be crucial in enabling the person living with dementia to sort out their financial matters at a time when they can still do so for themselves.
We are very aware in this line of work that just because someone has been diagnosed with dementia, it doesn’t mean that they will suddenly become incapable of making any decisions at all (of course, this may not always be the case).
How Can I Plan For My Future?
Following a diagnosis, it is important to seek the right care and support in respect of an individual’s health. The GP and Alzheimer’s Society are great sources of information and support in this regard.
However, it is also important to consider your finances. Crucially, who is going to support you in making decisions, and if necessary, make those decisions on your behalf if there comes a time when you can’t make them for yourself.
Sadly, dementia is a progressive disease which means that it will continue to get worse. You may therefore also wish to forward plan in respect of your Will to ensure that your wishes are in place at a time when you are still able to prepare/review your Will.
Preparing Lasting Powers Of Attorney
If you have not already prepared Lasting Powers of Attorney, it is important that you seek some legal advice in relation to the same.
Lasting Powers of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs give you some control over who you want to be involved in the decisions surrounding your finances. It may be that you retain the ability to manage your finances for many years following the diagnosis, but it should be a comfort to know that you have the Lasting Powers of Attorney ‘ready to go’ should they be needed.
Lasting Powers of Attorney can also be made in respect of your Health and Welfare should there come a time when you cannot make decisions for yourself i.e. where you should live, what medical treatment you should receive and whether life sustaining treatment should be given.
It is important that you prepare Lasting Powers of Attorney as soon as possible, as if it is left too late, a lack of mental capacity could prevent them from being made. There are still options available, but it will mean a lengthy and costly application to the Court.
Prepare Or Review Your Will
The chances of someone needing to go into care at some point in the future are increased following a diagnosis of dementia and you may therefore be concerned about all your assets being used to pay for that care.
Whilst you have the capacity to make a Will or review an existing Will, it is important that you give this some thought. If you jointly own a property with your spouse/partner, then you may wish to think about preparing Life Interest Trust Wills, which can be used to protect some of the capital in the property for your chosen beneficiaries against care home fees.
Again, you should prepare or review your Will as soon as possible as you must have the required testamentary capacity to prepare or change your Will.
Is There Anything I Should Not Be Doing Following A Diagnosis Of Dementia?
Yes!
Do not start giving your assets i.e. your house and cash away to avoid them being used to pay for the care that you may later need.
If you do give the assets away for this reason, then this is known as ‘deliberate deprivation of capital’.
When your finances are assessed by the Local Authority to work out the amount you need to pay for your care, they may treat you as still owning the assets you gave away and charge you accordingly. This will just result in debt following your death and will potentially be quite distressing for your family members.
How Can I Best Support Someone Living With Dementia?
The best thing that you can do is treat that person with love, care, and support. The person living with dementia is still the first person they were before the diagnosis.
You may find attending a Dementia Friends Information Session useful in understanding how dementia can affect someone and how best to support someone. Dementia Friends is an initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society nationwide and more details can be found here.
How Can Timms Help?
If you have any queries regarding this article or any other matters relating to Alzheimer’s or Wills & Probate, please don’t hesitate to contact me at c.day@timms-law.com or on 01283 214231. Alternatively, you can visit the Wills and Probate page of our website here.
September 2022