How to Handle Dementia in the Family Business

For many family businesses, the patriarch or matriarch not only represents the heart and soul of the enterprise but also its founding vision and ongoing leadership. When such a key family leader begins to show signs of aging and cognitive decline, such as dementia, it challenges the core of the family business’s identity and its future viability.

The impact of dementia on a business owner who has dedicated their life’s work to building a business cannot be overstated. This individual, often seen as a pillar of strength and a visionary leader, may find themselves in a position where their cognitive abilities are diminishing. This change is particularly difficult, as the business leader’s identity and self-worth are deeply intertwined with the business itself. Yet if they won’t step down, the situation, already fraught with emotional and practical challenges, can become increasingly tenuous. Making tough decisions becomes inevitable for the family and other business stakeholders, as they must weigh the well-being and dignity of the aging owner against the need for effective leadership and the business’s continued success.

Your Biggest Hurdles

The reluctance of a business owner to step down in the face of aging and dementia presents significant hurdles. This refusal often stems from a deep connection to the business and a desire to maintain control over one’s life’s work. However, dementia can impair judgment, decision-making, and the ability to manage complex tasks, putting the business at risk.

This situation requires exploring options that respect the owner’s contributions while also protecting the business’s future. Initiating conversations about succession and the future of the business needs to be done with care, empathy, and strategic timing to minimize distress and resistance. Protecting the family business in such circumstances involves a careful consideration of legal, ethical, and interpersonal factors to ensure that the business can transition smoothly to new leadership without losing its core values and vision.

Here are some key approaches:

• Use a third party. One solution is to engage a trusted third party, such as a board of fiduciary directors or qualified friends, whom both parties trust to intervene and negotiate. This informal style of communication may provide a workaround without directly confronting the leader’s impairment.
• Recruit an independent mediator. Sometimes, families need to bring in outside assistance. An independent mediator can help leaders see that failure to change or step aside could jeopardize the company. Then, adjustments that allow them to retain influence while sharing responsibilities can be made. Independent mediators can be a longtime friend or colleague, neutral advisor, or leadership coach.
• Conducting independent reviews. Instead of following the leader’s decisions, a designated family member or potential successor can intervene and review decisions.
• Creating a future owner’s cohort. In some cases, families designate younger family members who will eventually become the next-generation owners. This informal leadership group can brainstorm their future plans, then discuss their ideas and requests with the current leader. This approach works well if they are respectful, avoid conflicts, and act together as one team.
• Innovating. Many times, a family may worry the business is losing its competitive edge because of the leader’s poor decision-making. If so, there is a way to mitigate this without directly challenging the current leader. They can encourage the next generation to start planning ahead and launch new projects and ideas, while investing capital into new efforts.
• Leadership reinvention. Families can set up a new system to smoothly transition leadership. They might simplify the current leader’s role for better support or form a council to foster new leaders. That way, decisions can be jointly made and responsibilities are delegated. Alternatively, the leader could take on a new position like mentor or advisor, allowing them to share their wisdom and guidance with the next generation.

The Best Move for Your Family

If you find that the key family leader has not planned for these contingencies, you may first begin by finding a consensus among the decision-makers within the family and the business will often be essential to managing this transition effectively. Conservatorship over the key family leader may provide for legal authority to be granted to a responsible party to manage the personal and business affairs of the owner and to account for them. This approach can ensure that the business continues to operate smoothly while also addressing the health and well-being of the affected individual.

Seeking the counsel of an attorney who specializes in conservatorships in California for family businesses is crucial. Many attorneys, especially in regions with a dense population of family-owned enterprises like Southern California, offer free consultations to discuss the unique challenges and legal implications of your situation.