An elder care attorney can help protect your family member.

An elder care attorney can guide your family through the legal steps to safeguard your family member with dementia. A diagnosis of dementia does not automatically mean that your family member cannot manage his legal and financial affairs or make decisions. It is the time to start planning for a future where your family member may need assistance or to review the legal tools that are already in place.

If your family member is very confused, you may not be able to move forward with changing or creating the legal tools. In this case, you will need the attorney's help to complete a legal process that establishes a conservatorship or guardianship for your family member.

Everyone over the age of 18 should have the following tools in place:

• A will to distribute their assets after death via probate.
• A revocable living trust to distribute their assets after death without probate and to appoint a successor trustee to manage their financial affairs if they become incapacitated.
• A durable power of attorney for property appointing someone to manage their financial affairs if they are incapacitated.
• A durable power of attorney for healthcare or a living will appointing someone to manage healthcare decisions if they are incapacitated.