TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Oct 2, 2019

This month’s "Older & Wiser" column in the Tennessee Bar Journal looks at how lawyers can recognize and address dementia in their clients. Matt and Kelly Frere, with the elder law firm of Guyton & Frere, first warn about jumping to conclusions. Conditions, such as “acquired” cognitive deficits, can mimic the symptoms of dementia. Allergies, high blood pressure, diabetes, dehydration, excessive alcohol consumption, depression, sleep apnea, certain drugs and even high cholesterol can also contribute to behavior that might look like dementia. The correct diagnosis, they write, “will not only assist you in whatever business and/or estate planning you may be doing for the client, but may also determine your client’s eligibility for certain government benefits.” If clients are suffering from a dementia disease, the pair say lawyers can protect their clients' interests (even if they have diminished mental capacity) and can be the difference between a future of quality care and a financial crisis.