American Bar Association Alzheimer's and the Practice of Law: Counseling Clients with Dementia and Their Families

Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia characterized by the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities to the point that the disease interferes with daily life. About 4-5 million people in the United States have some degree of dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common form. There are many legal questions that need to be addressed following a diagnosis of dementia; financial questions, health care concerns, and ethical questions and lawyers need to understand both the law and the emotions of working with a client who has Alzheimer's disease. These questions include the following: How do we get health care for the patient? What are the ethics of working with clients with Alzheimer's? What options are available for health care? How are these options going to affect the patient and the family/spouse? What is the long-term outlook for everyone? How can we protect the family assets? Most attorneys are not accustomed to dealing with a client with Alzheimer's and probably are not prepared to answer these types of questions. Alzheimer's and the Practice of Law is designed to give you the knowledge needed to answer these questions and guide your client through the arduous journey of dealing with dementia. Including interviews with doctors, a hospice nurse, and the leaders of the Alzheimer's Association, this handbook examines this disease and unique practice from every important angle.