Making sure that your financial house is in order is certainly at the root of estate planning as we all know. However, some people stop there and fail to see the total picture.
Elderly individuals do not usually die without suffering some type of gradual decline. In many cases this can include a period of full or partial incapacitation.
As a result, it is wise to consult with a good South Carolina estate planning attorney to make sure that you are preparing for all eventualities intelligently.
The most common cause of mental incapacity among seniors is Alzheimer’s disease.
People are living longer than ever, and in fact the oldest age group is growing faster than any other. It is becoming increasingly likely that you will live into your mid-80s, and some 40% of people who reach the age of 85 are Alzheimer’s sufferers.
There in currently no cure for the disease and there are not even any treatments to slow it down. However, there is some encouraging news to report. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that the gait of a person can be used to identify the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Up until these findings were found there was no physical way to diagnose the disease, so this is certainly a very positive step in the right direction.
As it stands Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States so we are talking about a truly lethal threat. Hopefully, as further research is conducted we will someday find a cure.
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