A dementia diagnosis is the start of an emotional, overwhelming, and challenging journey. And while you may have noticed some early warning signs that indicated a change in your parent’s mental state, you may not have been prepared with a plan upon the diagnosis. While it’s certainly not easy to receive the news of a dementia diagnosis, it’s best to be prepared for how to navigate the journey ahead. Many families do not have a plan of action. At Miller Estate & Elder Law, we see this reality every day. Families come through our doors in crisis, unsure what to do next. That’s exactly why we developed our Dementia Care Navigation service: to give families a roadmap so they don’t have to face the unknown alone.
Why Families Struggle Without a Plan
The consequences of being unprepared can be far-reaching and expensive. Consider this situation we encountered:
A wife needed to sell the family home to downsize and care for her husband, who had advanced Alzheimer’s. A real estate agent told her she needed a power of attorney so her husband could sign the deed. But by the time she came to us, his condition had progressed too far — he no longer had the legal capacity to sign any document. The only path forward was a costly and emotionally painful guardianship and conservatorship proceeding, where she had to sit before a judge and testify about every way her husband’s Alzheimer’s had diminished him — while he sat in the room listening.
And there are even more heartbreaking situations involving well-meaning but poorly timed decisions — like families who give away their home to protect it from long-term care costs, only to discover that Medicaid’s five-year lookback period treats that transfer as a penalty, leaving them with no way to pay for a nursing home.
Don’t let a lack of planning create consequences down the road. A proper plan can ensure that your future avoids potential roadblocks.
The Dementia Journey — What Families Can Expect
At first, you may think that your parent’s forgetfulness is a sign of getting older. But then you start noticing changes in personality, frequent moments of confusion, and difficulty performing everyday tasks. You begin to worry about their safety — will they fall? Will they wander? You may decide it’s time for additional care, whether that means an in-home caregiver, an assisted living facility, or a memory care community.
Nursing home care in Alabama today can cost anywhere from $75,000 to $100,000 per year, and those costs are only projected to rise. In fact, 70% of all people over 65 will need some form of long-term care, whether in-home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home. Beyond the financial burden, there’s the frequent travel, the need to take time off from work, and the emotional toll on everyone involved.
There are really only three ways to pay for long-term care: out of pocket, through long-term care insurance, or by qualifying for Medicaid. Understanding which path is right for your family — and planning ahead for it — can make an enormous difference.
Fortunately, it is possible to plan for a dementia diagnosis. Our Dementia Care Navigation service includes financial planning, legal support, family support, care advocacy, medical support, and assistance with transitions.
The 6 Components of Dementia Care Navigation
- Financial Roadmap — Are you prepared to handle the costs of in-home care, assisted living, or a nursing facility? If you do not have the resources to use your personal savings, have you considered the need for long-term care insurance?
- Core Legal Documents — In order to best care for a parent with dementia, it’s crucial to ensure you work with an elder care attorney to put your legal documents in place. Proper legal documents, such as durable financial power of attorney, advanced healthcare directive with HIPAA authorization, and a will or trust, are essential for making decisions and accessing resources.
- Family Support & Dementia Coaching — You don’t have to face this journey alone. Our Dementia Care Navigation service provides access to a certified dementia practitioner—plus unlimited calls and meetings with our legal team to answer questions, update the plan, and prevent costly mistakes.
- Care Advocacy — We act as a liaison between your family and care facilities, helping de-escalate emotionally charged situations and ensuring your loved one receives proper care.
- Medical Support — Receive guidance on questions to ask physicians, referrals to dementia specialists, and direct communication with treating doctors on the family’s behalf.
- Transitions Guidance — There may come a time when you need to take away your parent’s car keys, or move them from their home to a care facility. We’re here to offer support during these challenging transitions.
Why Early Action Is Everything
We cannot stress this enough: do not wait. Most families come to us too late — after their loved one has already lost the capacity to sign legal documents, after a financial crisis has begun, or after a well-intentioned decision has created an unexpected Medicaid penalty.
Once a person with dementia loses legal capacity, they can no longer sign a power of attorney, a deed, or any other legal document. At that point, a court proceeding becomes the only option — and it is time-consuming, expensive, and emotionally painful for everyone involved.
Elder financial exploitation is also a very real risk when there is no plan in place. We regularly see situations where a family member — sometimes one who has been living with or closely involved in the care of a parent — begins accessing accounts inappropriately. Beyond the harm this causes, it can also create Medicaid penalties down the road.
The best time to get a plan in place is as soon as possible after a diagnosis — ideally before one is needed at all.
Contact Miller Estate and Elder Law
A dementia diagnosis can be devastating for a family, but it doesn’t have to mean navigating the road ahead without direction. We’re here to provide peace of mind so you can walk the journey with confidence. Contact our team by filling out the form below.