Manchester New Hampshire Estate Planning Blog

As parents age, the family dynamic changes.

Role reversals take place as sons and daughters become the parents, and the parents – in their declining physical and mental state – may become the child.

Children rarely anticipate that they will one day need to care for their elderly parents. Still, this is inevitable for many families--especially for adult children whose parents have Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or another disease that induces dementia. If your parent has one of these illnesses, it may soon be time to step in as their caretaker.

Many people find this overwhelming, particularly because of the numerous legal decisions that inevitably occur. One way to make these issues easier to handle is to prepare for them in advance. If you are caring for an adult who has dementia, you may want to learn about some of the legal issues that you and your parent could face in the future.

A heart attack on the way to a second job, a stroke while checking Facebook in bed or a car crash that results in a coma, these traumatic events can come at almost any time. It is impossible to know the when, but it is possible to have a plan.

A neighbor was shocked into making lifestyle changes after suffering a heart attack at age 40. A healthy and active parent in her 70s was incapacitated by a blood clot while on a dinner cruise. These stories are reminders of the importance health care directives play in an estate plan. And how proper planning can ensure that bills get paid and avoid the need for a guardianship hearing.