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a person’s medical chart. update a will and secure the
estate.
A Durable Power of Attorney for
Access to private medical Finances names someone to
information is closely regulated.
The person with Alzheimer’s make financial decisions when the
disease must state in writing who person with Alzheimer’s disease
can see or use personal medical can no longer do so. It can help
records.
people with the disease and their
families avoid court actions that
may take away control of
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES financial affairs.
FOR FINANCIAL AND A Living Trust provides instructions
ESTATE MANAGEMENT about the person’s estate and
appoints someone, called the
Advance directives for financial trustee, to hold title to property
and estate management must and funds for the beneficiaries.
be created while the person with The trustee follows these
Alzheimer’s still can make these instructions after the person no
decisions (sometimes referred to longer can manage his or her
as “having legal capacity” to affairs.
make decisions). The person with Alzheimer’s
disease also can name the trustee
These directives may include as the health care proxy through
some or all of the following: the durable power of attorney for
A Will indicates how a person’s health care.
assets and estate will be A living trust can:
distributed upon death. It also can Include a wide range of property
specify: • Provide a detailed plan for
property disposition
• Avoid the expense and delay of
• • Arrangements for care of minors probate (in which the courts
• Gifts establish the validity of a will)
• Trusts to manage the estate • State how property should be
• Funeral and/or burial distributed when the last
arrangements beneficiary dies and whether the
trust should continue to benefit
Medical and legal experts say that others
the newly diagnosed person with
Alzheimer’s and his or her family
should move quickly to make or
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