Legal and financial planning for familial Alzheimer's disease

Legal and financial planning is especially important for families with genetic mutations that cause familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD), because the disease often begins affecting people in their 30s to 50s—prime years for career, parenting, and life responsibilities.

Proactive planning can help. Here’s how:

Making decisions while you’re at your best

Early planning allows families to make informed decisions about their healthcare, finances, and personal affairs before cognitive decline sets in. This includes:

• Establishing powers of attorney for healthcare and finances.

• Creating or updating wills and trusts.

• Designating guardianship for children, if applicable.

Protecting financial stability

Because FAD can impair the ability to work long before traditional retirement age, families face unique financial challenges. Legal and financial planning helps:

• Manage and preserve assets through special needs trusts or similar instruments.

• Plan for long-term care costs.

• Navigate disability benefits and insurance claims more efficiently.

Reducing family stress and conflict

Clear legal documentation minimizes uncertainty and conflict among family members during what is already a highly emotional time. It ensures that the wishes of the affected person are respected and followed.

Supporting future generations

Since FAD genetics are inherited, family members may face their own risk of developing the disease. Planning can include strategies for genetic counseling, insurance coverage, and financial provisions for at-risk children or grandchildren.

Get ahead of it

Families often report that they are inundated with responsibilities that compete for their time and attention, especially as symptoms set in. When we take care of these matters in advance, that’s one less thing we have to handle during an otherwise challenging time.