Why Early Planning Matters — Especially Here in Maine
Each November, organizations across the country recognize Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, a national observance dedicated to education, advocacy, and support for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
🕰️ How It Started
Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month was first established in 1983, when President Ronald Reagan issued a national proclamation to raise awareness about the condition and the growing need for education and resources. At the time, an estimated 2 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s — a number that has now risen to more than 6 million and continues to increase as the population ages.
Before the month-long observance was created, the Alzheimer’s Association launched the first “Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Week” in 1980, marking the beginning of national advocacy efforts focused on memory loss, brain health, and caregiver support.
Today, the month serves as a reminder of the importance of early detection, proper medical care, long-term planning, and support for caregivers — especially in states like Maine, where aging and dementia-related needs are growing faster than in much of the country.
📊 Alzheimer’s in Maine: A Growing Reality
Maine consistently ranks among the oldest states in the nation, with one of the highest percentages of residents aged 65 and older. This means:
- Thousands of Mainers are currently living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia — and the number is projected to rise significantly over the next decade.
- Many rural parts of Maine have limited access to memory-care facilities, neurologists, and dementia-care specialists.
- Alzheimer’s affects entire families, not just the person diagnosed — including spouses, adult children, caregivers, and household finances.
For families in the Greater Bangor region and across Maine, the combination of long distances, limited care options, and high long-term-care costs makes early planning even more important.
💡 Why Alzheimer’s Awareness Month Matters for Estate Planning
Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. Over time, it affects memory, reasoning, and decision-making — which means legal and financial planning must happen early, while the person still has capacity.
The most important legal tools to have in place include:
| Essential Document | Why It Matters |
| Durable Power of Attorney | Allows a trusted person to handle banking, bills, taxes, and property if capacity declines |
| Healthcare Power of Attorney & Advance Directive | Ensures medical decisions follow the person’s wishes when they can no longer speak for themselves |
| Revocable or Asset-Protection Trust | Helps manage assets during incapacity and may protect against long-term-care spend-down |
| HIPAA Release | Allows family or care partners to speak with doctors and access medical information |
| Updated Will | Ensures property passes according to the person’s wishes, not default Maine law |
Without these documents, family members may be forced into guardianship or conservatorship proceedings — a court-supervised legal process that is costly, stressful, and avoidable with proper planning.
👵 Caregiving in Maine: The Silent Workforce
Most Alzheimer’s care in Maine begins at home. Spouses, adult children, neighbors, and friends often step into caregiving roles with little preparation and little support. Caregivers frequently take on everything from medication management and financial oversight to physical care and emotional support.
Many caregivers share the same realization:
“I wasn’t prepared to make medical or financial decisions — and by the time we knew we needed legal documents, it was too late.”
Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is not just about the disease — it’s also about supporting caregivers and giving families the tools they need to plan before a crisis.
🧭 What Maine Families Can Do Now
Here are five steps every family should take — even before a diagnosis:
- Start the conversation early — before memory loss becomes severe.
- Review or update estate-planning documents every 3–5 years.
- Discuss long-term-care preferences (stay at home, assisted living, memory care, veterans benefits, etc.).
- Understand MaineCare (Medicaid) eligibility rules before assets are spent down.
- Gather key financial, medical, and legal documents in one place.
🗓️ If Your Family Is Already Facing Alzheimer’s
You are not behind, but timing matters. Our office regularly helps families:
- Put legal authority in place before cognitive decline progresses
- Protect savings, property, and family homes from long-term-care spend-down
- Navigate MaineCare applications and eligibility strategies
- Create trust structures that allow family members to manage finances
- Support overwhelmed caregivers with checklists, planning tools, and next-step guidance
You do not need a formal diagnosis to start planning — and the earlier you act, the more options your family has.
💬 A Message for Maine Families
Alzheimer’s changes many things.
Proper planning changes how much it has to take.
If you or someone you love is showing signs of memory loss — repeating questions, struggling with finances, getting confused in familiar places — now is the time to start the conversation.
📞 Need Guidance?
Aging in Maine assists individuals, couples, adult children, and caregivers across the state in creating protective, compassionate, and clear plans for the future.
✅ Schedule a consultation (in-person, phone, or Zoom)
(207)848-5600
We’re here to help — before a crisis, during one, and after.
