Shining a Light on Those Who Provide Dementia Care
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: November 27, 2017
Alzheimer’s takes a devastating toll, not just on those with the disease, but on their families. The effects of this disease, emotional as well as financial, are felt by many in our society. Caring for relatives suffering from this debilitating condition is truly a labor of love, and unfortunately, comes with high costs. This month, as we observe National Family Caregiver Month, we look to shine a light on some of the often overlooked aspects of caring for someone with this disease.
Today, more than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for more than 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. It is estimated that in 2016 those caregivers delivered 18.2 billion hours of assistance, often at the cost of personal and financial sacrifices, according to a survey by the Alzheimer’s Association for the 2016 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. A large percentage of those who are caregivers of someone with Alzheimer’s cut back on their own expenses (including food, transportation and medical care) to pay for dementia-related care of a family member or friend. Many caregivers reduce or quit working to provide care for a loved one, resulting in a loss of income.
Studies show that people age 65 and older survive an average of 4 to 8 years after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia, and some live as long as 20 years with Alzheimer’s. And with no known prevention, cure, or way to slow the disease’s progression, the impact on our nation and our caregivers continues to grow.
The high cost of Alzheimer’s on caregivers could be even higher; however, Social Security benefits help offset some of those costs of care and services. Traditional health insurance plans and Medicare do not typically cover long-term nursing home stays that people in the late stages of the disease often require. Social Security is used across the country to pay for critical care services for individuals living with dementia.
Since 2010, Social Security has included Early-Onset Alzheimer’s as a Compassionate Allowances condition for the Social Security Disability Insurance program, providing access to expedited review of Social Security benefit applications for those under the age of 65. The Alzheimer’s Association was proud to advocate for this inclusion for its constituents and others affected by this disease.
While we continue to work towards a cure and treatments that will both improve quality of life and reduce costs, it is important to have access to affordable support and services. This includes providing support for those who provide care. To learn more about how Social Security disability insurance works, visit Social Security’s disability page. You can also visit Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances site to learn more about Alzheimer’s and other medical conditions that allow expedited processing of Social Security disability benefits.
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Tags: Disability, social security disability benefits
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Teresa P.
I have been taking care of my father since my mother as passed away. I would like to know how to become a caregiver to get compensated for taking care of him?
Ray F.
Hi Teresa. Some individuals may be eligible to receive social services from the state in which they live. These services include Medicaid, free meals, housekeeping help, transportation or help with other problems. You can get information about services in your area from your state or local social services or welfare office. Or you can visit the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services web page for more information. We hope this helps!
Hospitals &.
One of the longest uncensored runs by this blog. Oops, the federal government kidnapped the FY 18 budget surplus under 18USC§2331 to protect hostile weather modification on land and at sea under 18USC§81 and Harvard arsons will take advantage of the President’s fascist Republican majority, to govern (slash and burn S. pyogenes?) in the corporate interest, to attempt to evade and defeat tax under 26USC§7201. The President’s failure to pardon Madoff and Hammond has impaired his Enron. According to political science regarding the 6th stage of Democratic-Republican (DR) two party system development, Congress is not able to make law without a split ticket, but the Republican majority of the 115th Congress certainly threatens to break the law and steal a crude $1.5 trillion, by reducing the corporate tax rate and other tax relief for the rich, without the requisite FY 18 budget, and/or other supporting documentation or even non-terrorist weather conditions, any more favorable than North Korea, needed for the Republic to lawfully evade or defeat taxes under 26USC§7201. Congress is in contempt of UN arrears under Art. 19 of the UN Charter and Art. 36(2,4) of the Statute of the Court. The essential principle contained in the actual trial of an illegal act is that reparation must, as far as possible, wipe out all the consequences of the illegal act and re-establish the situation which would, in all probability, have existed if that act had not been committed according to the Advisory Opinion regarding the Legal Consequences of Constructing a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory No. 131 on 9 July 2004. Arrears shall be by best estimate of 2.5% growth, not the congressional zero pay raise since 2009, despite declarations indicating legislative spending increases at the unacceptably high rate of 2.7% between FY 17 and FY 18.
To provide Americans with the equal protection section of the Fourteenth Amendment, with none of the Jim Crow in Sec. 2-5 going on in the 40th parallel, a new Hospitals & Asylums (HA) 7th stage of Democratic-Republican (DR) two-party system development in the United States, that is able to make law in its parliamentary majority, is ordered: (a) To amend the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour 2009-2017 to ‘$7.50 in 2018 and 3% more every year thereafter.’ under 29USC§206(a)(1)(D). (b) To provide 14 weeks of (unemployment compensation) paid Maternity Protection under ILO Convention 183 (2000). (c) To amend the 1.8% DI tax rate starting January 1, 2019 in Sec. 201(b)(1)(T) of the Social Security Act under 42USC§401(b)(1)(T) to either (c-1) 2.1% DI tax, or (c-2) 2.0% DI tax if OASI pays $240 billion including 2.5% interest in assets for CY09-CY15 to replicate to the extent possible revenue that would have been received if the OASDI tax had been properly adjusted by Public Law 112-96. (d) To replace the Adjustment of the contribution and benefit base under Section 230 of the Social Security Act 42USC§430 with ‘There is created in the Treasury a Supplemental Security Income Trust Fund.’ (d-1) To tax the rich the full 12.4% Old Age Survivor and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Federal Income Contribution Act (FICA) on all their income to pay 16-24 million children growing up poor SSI benefits CY18 and end poverty by 2020. (e) To end benefit attrition with a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) rule every year inflation continues to run about 2.7% and the Trust Fund Ratio is greater than 20% under Sec. 215(i) of the Social Security Act 42USC§415(i). To make an exception to the rule to pay $777 mo. SSI a 5.7% COLA is needed from CY17, a 2.7% COLA CY18 followed by 3% COLA to $777 SSI CY19 and 3% COLA every year thereafter. A BILL
The weather report regarding the development of artificial oceanic heating belts at both 40º South and now North, and editing of Drug Regulation, are delayed by the time it takes to interpret patents relating devices or methods for influencing weather conditions receiving Cooperative Patent Classification A01G 15/00. On September 11, 1984 US Patent 4470544 A Methods of and Means for Weather Modification, granted to Geophysical Engineering Co., held the presence of large bodies of water, such as oceans, seas or large lakes, affects the weather in adjacent west-wardly located land masses due to prevailing westerly winds. Hydrocarbon heating pumps arranged from Washington D.C. to Nova Scotia thermally pollute the Atlantic East coast equally with North Korea’s recent ballistic missile tests in the East Pacific. Eastern coasts are known for having cold and wet winters. Although the warm waters might moderate weather conditions in the Philippines, a volcano is erupting in Indonesia. The East Pacific could be cooled by mobile submersible cooling pumps. While the District of Columbia and Nova Scotia, Canada, might think they benefit from warm and mild winter weather and reduced winter storms, after cooling pump abuse caused an extremely harsh winter on the East Coast, a year or two ago, the heating pump array from the Potomac to Nova Scotia, is unnecessary, causes drought and potential winter forest fires, in the Great Plains, and negotiates with terrorists for unnaturally warm winters no one asked for, with low ski resort revenues, in the East. The Pacific Coast and coral reef off the coast of Florida and the Bahamas, is protecting its climate with hydrocarbon cooling pumps, against warming. Texas needs to prevent flooding by prohibiting, the admittedly oil industry conflicted, use of snow machines, and selling them to ski resorts, from oil platforms and ships as directed by Processes and apparatus for reducing the intensity of tropical cyclones US 9736996 B2 published August 22, 2017 and US 9750202 B2 of September 15, 2017. The most reliable method of cooling the ocean for hurricane prevention or rainmaking, involves converting hydrocarbon heating pumps to environmentally friendly A.S. Trust & Holdings blend of pure hydrocarbon refrigerant, that has been designated R441A by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in 2011. It is imperative that oceanic hydrocarbon heating and cooling pumps are turned off when not in use, or when their local use, causes damages elsewhere…www.title24uscode.org/november2017.html
Tamika m.
I Tamika Milledge want to get approved for ssi for the first time in so long of trying I have no income 0 please help Lord Jesus to receive my SSI
MrTakaphan T.
May pay my benefits of ssa by social security at us embassy in manila ,Philippine, thank sir for assistance my case!
Ray F.
Unfortunately and because of security reasons we do not have access to personal records in this blog. Also, you cannot create a “my Social Security” account if living outside the United States. The “my Social Security” authentication system requires address verification as one of the essential criteria for issuing an account. At this time you must have a U. S. mailing address to create or to access your online account from outside the United States. People with APO/FPO/DPO addresses can create an account overseas, but our system does not support registration and account creation for users with a foreign address yet. When living abroad please contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate for any assistance related to your Social Security benefits. Our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this information helps.
Just a reminder – please be cautious about posting personal information on social media channels. Thanks!
Vildan M.
Thank you for an informative and timely post. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! ??????
john
You seem to be obsessed with Alzheimer’s and pay practically no attention to those of us who have dementia.
AKA
I’ll recognize your dementia and say it can be as bad as Alzheimers, still I can’t figure out how that helps you.
Harry H.
on yea the only reason me and my sister can live here is were both disabled but i do feel for those not so lucky and who can’t stay home an give the kind of care a Alzheimer’s victims needs …
Harry H.
I guess you can say my mom was lucky in that my dad was a lifer in the army and left her with a house and check once a month form SS and VA .. so financially we won’t have to worry to much but it is for sure a labor of love, some days it is very unbearable for my sister i tell her go out for a few hours i can deal with the hate on those day that seems like hate buts not the. Disease all ways picks on one person, i mean that one person all way gets the hate when a attack starts that can last for hours and all we can do is not let her hurt her self an let her say what she will . by attacks i mean for no reason at all they start saying hateful stuff like get out my house , I ‘m gonna drive now, it got so bad one time to stop her from driving we called the cops and thy talked to her DR and then told she couldn’t drive any more . few tips don’t ague with them , don’t say no .say some thing like may be later or well look into it NO seems to be a real negative with the Disease an can make attacks last for hours were learning’s as wee go an taking her to a dementia Dr sorry don’t know what else to call them we tell her a memory DR that seems ok with her to see about getting some in home help give us a break some days we were told if the Dr thinks we need it, it is covered by medicare and tricare for life .bear with it if you love them it usually stops at night fall no idea why but when night hits it all stops. Me and my sister take care of her in her own home we live here if we didn’t she would be in a home i told her one time this is her home i won’t put her in a home … sorry about my bad typing it can be hell some days were lucky in that she has enough money and insurance for life from the army for her because of my dad … he died at 45 from service rated problems . hope i made sense .
Ray F.
Thank you for sharing, Harry!
Ronald E.
I’m Disable and did apply for benefits after leaving the country, and isn’t getting the benefits I work over the years, (I need to talk with someone,
Ronald E.
I’m Disable and did apply for benefits after leaving the country, and isn’t getting the benefits I work over the years, (I need to talk with someone, S.S.#*** – ** – ***.D.O.B.7-4-1956,PHONE NUMBER 18764728685,
Ray F.
Just a reminder – We do not have access to personal information, therefore, we do not do direct messaging in this venue. Please be cautious about posting personal information on social media and communicating personal information via email.
Ron D.
Good information ?
Darwin S.
I’m in the West Kendall Baptist hospitall ,
I have disnees when I way up or standup
Or when I sleep and I move different ways
I disnees I don’t know what time, I left
AKA
Sounds as if you could certainly use a care giver, ask the hospital social worker.