Legal
The 30 sources listed below are each rated on how they can help caregivers better understand and manage legal issues for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Sources are ranked from highest to lowest.
Sources are ranked from highest to lowest.
ALZSmart Score™ - Extraordinary90%
Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Resource center for legal and financial planning with links to specific topics: Elder Law Attorneys, Advance Directives, Power of Attorney, Healthcare Proxy, Guardianship, Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Bequests, Retirement Plans, Medicare, Medicaid and Alzheimer’s, and Funeral Planning.
ALZSmart Score™ - Excellent85%
Caring.com
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Detailed overview with topics that include: Estate Planning 101, 6 Key Estate Planning Questions for You or Your Parents, Important Estate Planning Documents, What You Should Know About Wills, What You Should Know About Trusts, and How Trusts and Estate Lawyers Can Help. Also has a couple of 2-3 minute videos.
ALZSmart Score™ - Excellent85%
Alzheimer's Association
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
[PDF - 16 Pages] A legal plan that includes: 1) Legal capacity, 2) Legal documents, 3) Finding a lawyer, 4) Meeting with your lawyer, 5) Terms your lawyer may use.
ALZSmart Score™ - Excellent80%
AARP
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Explains why it's important to give a person's family or executor the right to access and manage digital assets, information and devices after the person dies. This includes a person's digital assets (websites we own, blogs, art, music, writing, business websites, cryptocurrency and so much more) and digital information (email, social media and banking accounts) exist in our digital devices such as our computers and smartphones.
ALZSmart Score™ - Very Good75%
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Naomi Karp
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Provides links to 4 easy-to-understand PDF guides to help financial caregivers: 1) Powers of attorney [PDF - 24 Pages], 2) Court-appointed guardians [PDF - 28 Pages], 3) Trustees [PDF - 28 Pages], and 4) Government fiduciaries [PDF - 24 Pages] (Social Security representative payees and VA fiduciaries).
ALZSmart Score™ - Very Good75%
Surviving Alzheimer's (2nd Edition)
Paula Spencer Scott
Pages 51-55
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Explains why legal issues are matter. Discusses 18 issues that people need to think about.
ALZSmart Score™ - Very Good75%
Alzheimer's Association
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Describes the basics of legal planning. Discusses the term legal capacity. Explains legal documents: Power of attorney, Power of attorney for health care, Durable power of attorney for finances/property, Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), Living will, Standard will, Living trust, and Guardianship / conservatorship. Preparing your advance directives. Getting help from an attorney.
ALZSmart Score™ - Very Good70%
UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Program
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
[Video 42:29] Attorney Marc B. Hankin discusses how to use a durable power of attorney, an advance health care directive and a living trust when someone is diagnosed with dementia. He will discuss what to do if the patient did not sign any of those documents while competent, the good and bad of conservatorships and how to preserve the patient’s independence as long as possible. Examples use California legal code.
ALZSmart Score™ - Good65%
Alzheimer's Association
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Provides details on 6 legal document: 1) Power of Attorney, 2) Standard will, 3) Power of Attorney for health care, 4), Living trust, 5) Living will, and 6) Guardians/conservatorship.
ALZSmart Score™ - Good60%
AARP
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Describes two advanced directives documents that record your medical preferences in writing: 1) Living will, and 2) Health care power of attorney.
ALZSmart Score™ - Good60%
AARP
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Describes 3 types of powers of attorney. Discusses the risks of not planning ahead. Explains why you should prepare these documents early, update frequently.
ALZSmart Score™ - Good60%
Daily Caring
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Discusses 3 common scenarios involving someone with dementia can't or won't sign a power of attorney and some options.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average55%
National Institute on Aging (ADEAR)
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Discusses advance directives for financial and estate management. Explains where you can get help with legal and financial planning.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average55%
ElderLawAnswers
Geo Location: US
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Resource center provided by elder law attorneys on a wide-range of topics. Although there are many different articles and guides in this web site, it appears that the main objective is to search and locate a local elder law attorney.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average55%
National Caregivers Library
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Resources center with links to 22 sources on these topics: General Legal, Advanced Medical Directives, Elder Law, Fraud & Abuse, Power of Attorney & Guardianship, and Wills & Estate Planning.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average55%
Alzheimer's Texas
Geo Location: Texas
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
[PDF - 1 Page] Resource guides (most are for the State of Texas) on: Advance Care Planning, Financial Planning, and Legal Issues.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average55%
The Dementia Caregiver
Marc E. Agronin, MD
Pages 207-217
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Discusses the caregivers role in decision-making. Explains the durable power of attorney, competency & guardianships, and advanced directives. Also outlines 7 major health issurance issues.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average55%
Ahead of Dementia
Luciana Mitzkun
Pages 79-90
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Begins with an example that show the need to plan ahead. Discusses the concept of legal capcity and laws in Arkansas, California and New York. Explains legal documents for healthcare decisions and property & assets.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average50%
Alzheimer's Association
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Explains why a person with Alzhemier's should make legal plans in advance. Defines 'legal capacity'. Lists 3 key issues to discuss with an attorney. Provides a checklist of 8 items to bring to the lawyer. Has 6 quick tips. Also has information on locating an elder law attorney.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average50%
Alzheimers.net (aka A Place For Mom)
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Attorney Brad Sauer discusses 3 key things to know about how and when to execute legal documents: 1) Living Wills and Health Care Powers of Attorney, 2) The Effect of Alzheimer’s on Legal Documents, and 3) Why Capacity Is Needed to Execute a Living Will and a Health Care Power of Attorney.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average50%
The 36-Hour Day (6th Edition)
Nancy L. Mace, MA and Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH
Pages 290-294
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Discusses making legal arrangements early and why you should use an elder law attorney. Explains a power of attorney. Describes guardianships and conservatorships.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average45%
Dementia Care Central (National Institute on Aging)
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Describes the legal process of seeking guardianship. Discusses 6 important legal documents for persons with Alzheimer's or dementia.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average45%
Alzheimer’s Research Association
Geo Location: All (US)
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Has a search tool to locate an elder law attorney.
ALZSmart Score™ - Average40%
Understand Alzheimer's
Pages 114-115
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Discusses the key legal document a durable power of attorney. Has a list of 17 documents you may need to locate.
ALZSmart Score™ - Satisfactory35%
VA Caregiver Support (US Dept. of Veteran's Affairs)
Geo Location: US
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Overview of the basics of legal and financial planning but with a focus on US veterans.
ALZSmart Score™ - Satisfactory35%
What To Do Between the Tears …
Tara Reed
Pages 47-50
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Explains the basic legal docuemnts.
ALZSmart Score™ - Satisfactory35%
Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias: The Caregiver's Complete Survival Guide
Nataly Rubinstein, MSW, LCSW, C-ASWCM
Pages 331-335
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Describes three legal documents: a living will, a durable power of attorney, and a health care surrogate.
ALZSmart Score™ - Satisfactory25%
The Alzheimer's Disease Caregiver's Handbook
Sally Willard Burbank, MD and Sue Pace Bell
Pages 215-218
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Overview of wills and power of attorney.
ALZSmart Score™ - Satisfactory20%
When Reasoning No Longer Works (2nd Edition)
Angel Smits
Pages 178-180
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Defines 8 elder law terms.
ALZSmart Score™ - Fair15%
WebMD
Geo Location: All
ALZSmart Review™ - Summary of Contents
Briefly describes legal documents.
