My family read a book about Alzheimer's when my mom came down with it. Called 'The Thirty-six Hour day' or something like that. Considered the best on the market at the time. Lots of good (but depressing) info. What chapped me was how the most pertinent stuff was at the END of the book. Like signatures and power of attorney.

As Alzheimer's progresses, your handwriting goes. And to sign a durable power of attorney, you have to be 'of sound mind'. So, my mom said for her whole life she didn't want to be on a respirator, force fed, etc., then suddenly I read that a simple power of attorney would not allow the family to pull the plug as per her wishes. Has to be a DURABLE power of attorney, or else the nursing home could force feed her until doomsday and there's no way we could stop it, even though it's against her wishes. And for her to assign durable power of atty, she has to sign, but the Alzheimers wrecks your handwriting...etc. And the tidbit about 'get those documents signed in the early stages of the disease' was at the END of the book.

So we hustled and got the papers signed just before she sank to another level.

I suggest all of you with aging parents look into the rules about guardianship and power of atty in your state, and talk to your folks about it. If they say they don't want to continue under certain physical circumstances, they'll have to do the paperwork.