Thomas Stewart is both a Social Security Disability lawyer and a licensed physician assistant focused on progressive neurological disease. Lewy body dementia — with its mix of cognitive, movement, and psychiatric symptoms — is exactly the kind of complex claim our medical background is built for, and we know how to translate its symptoms into the work limitations Social Security has to credit.
The symptoms that decide a claim — and what they mean for work
Lewy body dementia disables through a combination of symptoms. A strong claim ties each one to a concrete reason full-time work is no longer possible:
- Fluctuating cognition and alertness → unreliable, off task. Attention and alertness that swing hour to hour make it impossible to stay on task the ~85% of the day a job requires — the single most disabling feature of this disease.
- Memory, attention, and executive-function decline → limited to simple work. Cognitive losses can restrict you to simple, routine tasks and still keep you off task.
- Parkinson-like movement problems → limited standing and walking. Slowness, rigidity, and balance trouble create a fall risk and narrow the jobs that remain.
- Visual hallucinations and REM sleep behavior disorder → fatigue and safety limits that further reduce reliable work capacity.
- Sensitivity to medications → unpredictable worsening of symptoms.
How Social Security evaluates Lewy body dementia
SSA reviews it primarily under listing 12.02 (neurocognitive disorders), which looks for significant cognitive decline plus marked or extreme limits in areas of mental functioning; the movement symptoms are weighed alongside. Most people qualify by showing their real-world capacity cannot sustain full-time work. See how Social Security disability decisions work →
Why our medical background wins these claims
Neuropsychological testing is central, and documenting the fluctuation — good hours and bad — is what separates a strong record from a weak one. Because Thomas is a physician assistant, he knows what Social Security needs to see and helps your care team capture both.
Talk with a Lewy body dementia disability lawyer
No fee unless you win — 25% of past-due benefits, capped at $9,200. We represent clients nationwide, including private long-term disability (ERISA) claims managed alongside SSDI. Start your free case review → or call (720) 301-9708.
