Life, Interrupted

When we met “Henry” he was living independently, in a home he built in Albuquerque. Henry, along with his Estate Planning Attorney, understood his ability to manage his financial affairs wasn’t sustainable due to a recent dementia diagnosis; we were appointed as his financial power of attorney and trustee.

Henry’s neighbor bad been checking in on him and taking him to appointments when needed, but otherwise Henry was isolated in his home. After just a few visits with Henry, and a couple accidents/falls over a weekend, our team knew Henry needed significantly more help.

With consent from Henry, Heritage Trust introduced a professional care manager to arrange for daily caregivers and to coordinate doctor visits and treatment.

Soon after the care manager’s involvement, it was clear that Henry’s dementia was further progressed than everyone initially thought and his physical ailments needed more attention than they had been given. The care manager additionally expressed concerns that there were signs Henry was being exploited by people he had employed around the house to do yard work and run errands.With his children out of state and relations strained, it was clear Henry was in need of a professional guardian to guarantee his health needs were being addressed and a professional conservator to oversee that his finances were protected and managed properly.

With Heritage Trust as conservator and a professional care manager as his guardian, along with the help of around the clock caregivers, Henry is now able to remain in his home – his greatest desire. He enjoys the regular company of the caregivers and outings to his favorite restaurants on the good days.

While managing Henry’s affairs, and trying to honor his long-term wishes, it became apparent there was a conflict between his desire to retain certain assets and honor his beneficiaries—his son and a scholarship fund for nurses — to be administered upon his death.

Our solution, which required the beneficiaries to agree and the court’s blessing, was to liquidate assets needed for Henry’s care and dedicate the rest of his financial legacy to his son and his favorite cause. We’re able to navigate situations like Henry’s this quickly, creatively and effectively because of our independent nature. We’re not a bank. We’re very flexible and a decidedly human organization. We secured Henry’s assets from further exploitation, and matched Henry with care providers that enable him to live out his life as he desires, and deserves.