When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, families often feel unsure where to begin. Between medical appointments, emotional adjustment, and financial questions, the first 90 days can feel like a blur. Yet, those early months are the most important for getting organized.
In this guide, we outline what New Mexico families can do in the first 90 days to build a solid legal and financial foundation. From creating advance health care directives to exploring Medicaid planning in Las Cruces, New Mexico, these steps will help protect your loved one’s dignity, assets, and peace of mind.
Days 1–30: Get Informed and Start the Conversation
The first month is about understanding the diagnosis and beginning open conversations about care and decision-making.
Talk About Health and Future Wishes
Start by discussing your loved one’s goals for care, living arrangements, and quality of life. These conversations can be emotional, but having them now ensures that decisions reflect their wishes later.
Begin Health Care Planning
Under New Mexico’s Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act, your loved one can create an Advance Health Care Directive that includes:
- A Living Will – describing what medical treatments they do or don’t want if they can’t communicate.
- A Health Care Power of Attorney – naming someone they trust to make decisions when they cannot.
These documents must be signed and witnessed by two adults. Copies should be shared with the doctor, proxy, and close family members.
Days 31–60: Secure Finances and Legal Authority
In the second month, focus shifts to protecting finances and preparing legal tools that let family members step in smoothly when needed.
Create or Update Key Financial Documents
- Durable Power of Attorney for Finances: In New Mexico, this document must be notarized. It lets a trusted person manage bills, property, and accounts.
- Will: Ensures assets are distributed as your loved one intends. New Mexico law requires a written will signed by the testator and two witnesses.
- Living Trust: A living trust allows a trustee to manage assets during the person’s lifetime and after death, avoiding probate delays.
Begin Medicaid Planning Discussions
Long-term care is expensive, and most families cannot afford private nursing home costs indefinitely. Medicaid planning helps preserve assets while qualifying for benefits that pay for care.
A New Mexico elder law attorney can help you:
- Assess eligibility for long-term care Medicaid
- Restructure assets while protecting the spouse at home
- Avoid penalties from the five-year “look-back” period
- File accurate applications with the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD)
Starting Medicaid planning in the first 60 days allows enough time to prepare before care needs increase. Read more on elder law planning in our blog, Elder Law Isn’t Just for Seniors: Why Planning Early Protects Your Whole Family
Days 61–90: Prepare for Long-Term Care and Support
By the third month, families should focus on building the care plan and connecting with support services that make life easier now and later.
Explore Care Options
Compare what’s available locally:
- In-home caregivers for daily support
- Adult day care programs that offer social activities and supervision
- Assisted living or nursing homes for future stages of care
The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department and local Area Agencies on Aging can help you find programs and understand financial aid options.
Review Financial Support Programs
Your loved one may also qualify for:
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – for those who worked and paid into Social Security but can no longer work due to disability
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – for individuals with limited income and assets
Discuss End-of-Life and Legacy Wishes
Finally, make sure your loved one’s preferences for end-of-life care, funeral arrangements, and charitable gifts are written down. These discussions may be difficult, but they will give your family clarity and comfort in the years ahead.
Key Takeaways
- First 30 days: Talk about wishes and complete advance health care directives.
- Next 30 days: Finalize powers of attorney, wills, and begin Medicaid planning in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Final 30 days: Research care options, apply for benefits, and confirm long-term plans.
- Start early: Acting within the first 90 days gives families more options and peace of mind. Read more on early planning in our blog, It’s Not Too Early to Plan: Medicaid Planning in Las Cruces Explained
Need Help Planning After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
If your family is facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, don’t wait to plan. The first 90 days are your best opportunity to put in place health care, financial, and Medicaid protections that will make the road ahead easier.
Contact Attorney Michele Ungvarsky and the E-Law team in Las Cruces today to schedule a confidential consultation. Together, we’ll help your family take the right legal steps at the right time. Book your discovery call today.
References: Alzheimer’s Association – Planning After a Dementia Diagnosis and Help, Dementia! – “Financial Costs and Planning for Dementia and Alzheimer’s” (Feb. 12, 2023) and New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department