Best advice I can give to any adult child of a dementia or Alzheimer parent - meet with an Elder Law attorney!

Generally an initial meeting may not cost anything - as long as you have all financial paperwork at the meeting. The attorney will review the parent's situation in light of the possibility of one or both parents needing eventual nursing home care.

We just had our initial meeting yesterday and boy did we learn alot!!!
Yes, more than 5 years ago the mortgage on their house had been paid off and the children's names added. Thank goodness!!

However their wills created at that time were what's called "sweetheart" wills - if one dies, the other inherits and vice versa. This doesn't take into account Medicaid requirements in the case where one parent ends up needing nursing home care and the other will be staying at home. Yes, the house will remain "safe" from the state but what about other assets - life insurance, checking and savings accounts, investment funds, IRAs, etc?

THIS is what an Elder Law attorney assists you with.

Additionally a good elder law attorney will not only help protect the other parent's finances but will protect the parent's legacy - anything they would like to leave for their children!