Alzheimer's Disease:

Edward D. Beasley and David H. Ferber. Alzheimer's Disease "Fighting for Financial Survival" . Concord, N.H., Beasley & Ferber, PA, 2000. 135 pages.

$24.95 from publisher (click on book to order)

Two Elder law attorneys, Edward Beasley and David Ferber, have written an easy-to-understand guide to financial planning for Alzheimer's patients. Though aimed at Alzheimer's patients and their families, Fighting for Financial Survival is applicable to anyone entering a nursing home. The book clearly explains some of the basic financial and legal issues involved when someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, in particular how to protect assets in case of a nursing home stay.

Chapters explain how to use basic estate planning, how Medicaid works, and how to do Medicaid planning. The authors' use of case studies and examples helps to break down and simplify the issues.

Beasley and Ferber provide advice on what to do if the patient is already in the nursing home, stressing the importance of proper gifting, which can shelter half of the patient's assets, and explaining how to use annuities to shelter 100 percent of assets (a strategy that is not applicable in all states). There is also a chapter on planning before a nursing home stay, revealing why outright gifts to children should not be a part of Medicaid planning.

The book also has an extensive list of Alzheimer's Association Chapters across the United States.