Respite Care For Alzheimers Caregivers
Respite care is temporary assistance provided to the primary caregiver to allow them a break from caring for an individual with Alzheimers or dementia. It can be provided in the home, in an adult day care center, or sometimes in an assisted living residence or other residential setting. Respite care is sometimes provided free of charge or other times at a greatly reduced hourly rate. There are many different organizations and programs offering respite care services. It is worth noting that often times these are home care companies selling home care and marketing it as respite care even though they are charging the full hourly rate.
There are also federally funded programs that provide reduced rate or free respite care, such as the Lifespan Respite Care, the National Family Caregiver Support Program, as well as programs specific to individual states including Floridas Project R.E.L.I.E.F., New Jerseys Statewide Respite Care, and Connecticut Statewide Respite Care Program.
Assistance For Veterans With Alzheimers
While the VA does not have programs specifically for individuals with dementia or Alzheimers, there are benefits available through other VA programs that are available and relevant to veterans with these conditions. A pension benefit known as Aid and Attendance can provide the greatest amount of financial assistance. Up to approximately 2,230 / month in some cases. There is also VA Respite Care and other assistance available through Veterans Directed Home and Community Based Services.
Paying For Dementia Care With Home Equity
A home is often a seniors largest asset or investment and can be used as a source of funds for dementia care. Here are a few ways you can use you or your loved ones home to pay for memory care:
- Selling a home can create funds that can directly cover memory care costs.
- Renting a home can cover the mortgage and free up other funds for memory care costs. If the home is paid off, renting it may produce regular income that can fund memory care.
- Reverse mortgages allow homeowners age 62 and older to convert equity in their home into tax-free income by either receiving a lump-sum amount, a line of credit, or a monthly payment.
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Heating And Energy Assistance
The federal government makes funds available to the states to help low income seniors pay for a portion of their winter heating and summer cooling costs. Although this is a federal program, it is supervised at the state level, and usually administered at the county or local level.The income limit for receiving energy assistance varies from state to state, based on state median income and the federal poverty level,and also depends upon your family size.
Contact your state agency on aging listed below for information about how to apply for this program.
Charities For People With Dementia
There are several dementia charities that offer advice and support.
One of the main dementia charities is Alzheimer’s Society. Its website has information on all conditions that cause dementia, not just Alzheimer’s disease.
It also has information and advice about living with dementia and finding help and support near you.
Alzheimer’s Society runs the Dementia Connect support line on 0333 150 3456, which provides information and advice about dementia.
Dementia UK is a national charity that aims to improve the quality of life for people with dementia. It offers advice and support to families who are living with dementia through its Admiral Nurses, who are registered nurses and dementia experts.
Alzheimer’s Research UK carries out dementia research but also answers questions about dementia and dementia research, including how you and your family and friends can get involved. The charity’s helpline is 0300 111 5 111 and can provide help and guidance.
Age UK has advice on a range of topics, including advance care planning, benefits and choosing a care home, as well as information on local activities and services for those with dementia. It runs a free national helpline on 0800 055 6112.
The Carers Trust provides information and advice on its website for carers, including how to get support for yourself.
Carers UK is a national charity for carers, providing information and advice from benefits to practical support.
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Lasting Power Of Attorney
If youre living with dementia and can still make your own decisions , its a good idea to set up an LPA for your financial and property affairs.
Choose someone you trust to act as your attorney. This means they can act on your behalf, and in your best interests, when you can no longer make decisions.
Once registered, the LPA can be used with your permission, even if youre still able to deal with many aspects of your finances yourself. Or it can be held in readiness for when you can no longer make decisions.
Importance Of Advance Care Planning For People With Dementia And Their Caregivers
Someone newly diagnosed with dementia might not be able to imagine the later stages of the disease. But when a person is first diagnosed with Alzheimers or another dementia, its important to make plans for the end of life before the person with the disease can no longer complete advance directives and other important legal documents. End-of-life care decisions are more complicated for caregivers if the dying person has not expressed the kind of care they would prefer.
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Veterans Affairs Benefits For Memory
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs covers some memory care costs for qualifying military veterans. The VA programs that are most likely to provide aide for memory care services include:
- Home-based Primary Care offers home health care to veterans with complex medical needs that cant be handled in the clinic setting.
- Homemaker or Home Health Aide offers assistance at home to veterans who need help with activities of daily living, like bathing, toileting, and dressing.
- Respite Care provides relief for family members who are providing in-home care by sending temporary help when they need time away.
- Adult Day Health Care offers a place for you or your friend or relative to go during the day for life enrichment and social engagement.
Spouses of military veterans with dementia may also receive support through the VA.
Through its extensive healthcare system, the VA can also help cover doctors appointments, dental care, and vision care. Most people who served in active naval, military, or air service and did not receive a dishonorable discharge will qualify for VA benefits and should check with the department as soon as possible.
Other Sources Of Memory Care Financial Assistance
If the previous examples given do not apply to your unique situation, there are additional resources available to provide memory care help and financial assistance. Although Medicare, Medicaid, and VA programs can be excellent options for memory care financial assistance, there are other options that can help with the costs of long-term care.
Some of these other options include:
As the cost of memory care services increases, understanding the options available to you and your loved one can be instrumental in determining how much you pay. Our free, local Senior Living Advisors can help you with any questions you have about memory care or finding financial resources to cover the associated costs.
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Get Help With Your Energy Bills
There are a growing number of people who are faced with making life-changing decisions for themselves and elderly family members. The Aging and Disabilities Services Division provides and supports a broad range of services and programs for older adults and their families.
The purpose of the Aging and Disabilities Services Division is to support older adults so they can maintain the highest possible quality of life with independence and dignity, and to assist seniors and their family members with the many challenges of the aging process. The Aging and Disabilities Services Division acts as the first resource you can turn to for help. In Prince Georges County, the Aging and Disabilities Services Division is part of the Department of Family Services. The Aging and Disabilities Services Division provides the following services and programs for older adults and their families.
Tips For Changes In Communication And Behavior For People With Dementia
Communication can be hard for people with Alzheimers and related dementias because they have trouble remembering things. They also can become agitated and anxious, even angry. In some forms of dementia, language abilities are affected such that people have trouble finding the right words or have difficulty speaking. You may feel frustrated or impatient, but it is important to understand that the disease is causing the change in communication skills. To help make communication easier, you can:
- Reassure the person. Speak calmly. Listen to his or her concerns and frustrations. Try to show that you understand if the person is angry or fearful.
- Allow the person to keep as much control in his or her life as possible.
- Respect the persons personal space.
- Build quiet times into the day, along with activities.
- Keep well-loved objects and photographs around the house to help the person feel more secure.
- Remind the person who you are if he or she doesnt remember, but try not to say, Dont you remember?
- Encourage a two-way conversation for as long as possible.
- Try distracting the person with an activity, such as a familiar book or photo album, if you are having trouble communicating with words.
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Meaningful Activities For Dementia Patients: 15 Ways To Keep Your Loved One Engaged
Are you searching for enjoyable, stimulating activities for your loved one who is suffering from dementia?
You want to do all you can to enhance their quality of life, bring them joy, and reduce harmful behaviors but where do you start?
If youre looking for ways to engage your loved one with dementia, youre in the right place.
Here, we will discuss a wide variety of therapeutic activities for dementia patients, so you can choose the activities that best meet your loved one’s needs.
Other Government Benefits And Assistance Programs
There are many government benefits and assistance programs available to help with the care for Alzheimers and dementia. Government benefits might not erase all of the costs, which can be crippling, but should provide a helping hand and needed financial help for dementia patients.
Heres a rundown:
Social Security It provides retirement income, disability payments and other payments to workers who contributed to the plan during their employment. For information, log onto www.ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213.
Veterans Benefits If an Alzheimers patient was in the armed services, they might qualify for Veterans Administration program benefits, including long-term care. For information, log onto or call 1-800-827-1000.
State and Area Agencies on Aging They provide information on affordable health care services, support groups and legal services.
State Departments of Health and Social Services They provide information on state and local programs, including respite services and financial assistance.
Supplemental Security Income The government provides help for some people who cant work because of a disability . To qualify for SSI, a person must have less than $2,000 in net resources, which refers to money in bank accounts, cash, investments and real estate earnings. It does not include a home or car. For information, call the Social Security Administration national office at 772-1213.
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Professional Resources And Tools
Public Health Englands Health matters: midlife approaches to reduce dementia risk provides a resource for public health professionals, which brings together important facts, figures and evidence of effective interventions to address major public health problems.
A range of resources, training and guidance to deliver the dementia component of the NHS Health Check is available on the NHS Health Check website dementia training page. Resources include e-learning,videos and adaptable presentations for commissioners, providers and healthcare professionals.
Health Education England E-learning for Healthcare on dementia, covers all aspects of care for people living with dementia and their family members, from prevention and risk reduction to diagnosis through to bereavement.
A range of other Health Education England resources is available to develop the dementia workforce, including the Dementia Training Standards Framework..
Join Dementia Research has an e-learning tool to help healthcare professionals understand research involvement and enable them to empower people they talk to about the opportunities available through research.
The Alzheimers Societys Talking Point is an online discussion forum for anyone affected by dementia. You can ask for advice, share information, join in discussions and feel supported. This is a good place to get some qualitative feedback from service users.
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Dont Neglect Your Own Needs
By always focusing so diligently on your loved ones needs throughout the progression of their dementia, its easy to fall into the trap of neglecting your own welfare. If youre not getting the physical and emotional support you need, you wont be able to provide the best level of care, and youre more likely to become overwhelmed and suffer burnout.
Plan for your own care. Visit your doctor for regular checkups and pay attention to the signs and symptoms of excessive stress. Its easy to abandon the people and activities you love when youre mired in caregiving, but you risk your health and peace of mind by doing so. Take time away from caregiving to maintain friendships, social contacts, and professional networks, and pursue the hobbies and interests that bring you joy.
Talk to someone. Talk to a trusted friend, family member, clergy member, or therapist, about what youre going through. The simple act of talking face-to-face with someone who cares can be extremely catharticand a great stress reliever.
Stay active. Regular exercise not only keeps you fit, it releases endorphins that can really boost your mood. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. If you cant get away for that long at once, break the time up into 10-minute sessions throughout the day.
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Preserving Your Loved Ones Independence
Take steps to slow the progression of symptoms. While treatments are available for some symptoms, lifestyle changes can also be effective weapons in slowing down the diseases progression. Exercising, eating and sleeping well, managing stress, and staying mentally and socially active are among the steps that can improve brain health and slow the process of deterioration. Making healthy lifestyle changes alongside your loved one can also help protect your own health and counter the stress of caregiving.
Help with short-term memory loss. In the early stages, your loved one may need prompts or reminders to help them remember appointments, recall words or names, keep track of medications, or manage bills and money, for example. To help your loved one maintain their independence, instead of simply taking over every task yourself, try to work together as a partnership. Let your loved one indicate when they want help remembering a word, for example, or agree to check their calculations before paying bills. Encourage them to use a notebook or smartphone to create reminders to keep on hand.
Tips For A Healthy And Active Lifestyle For People With Dementia
Eating healthy and staying active is good for everyone and is especially important for people with Alzheimers and related dementias. As the disease progresses, finding ways for the person to eat healthy foods and stay active may be increasingly challenging. Here are some tips that may help:
- Consider different activities the person can do to stay active, such as household chores, cooking and baking, exercise, and gardening. Match the activity to what the person can do.
- Help get an activity started or join in to make the activity more fun. People with dementia may lack interest or initiative and can have trouble starting activities. But, if others do the planning, they may join in.
- Add music to exercises or activities if it helps motivate the person. Dance to the music if possible.
- Be realistic about how much activity can be done at one time. Several short mini-workouts may be best.
- Take a walk together each day. Exercise is good for caregivers, too!
- Buy a variety of healthy foods, but consider food that is easy to prepare, such as premade salads and single portions.
- Give the person choices about what to eat, for example, Would you like yogurt or cottage cheese?
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Home Helpers And Companions
There are several other in-home services you can get for further assistance. These include help with housekeeping and grocery shopping, and hiring companions who can visit to help prevent boredom and reduce the potential for wandering. These services are sometimes referred to as home care services, in contrast to the home health services described above, as medical care is not being provided.
Senior Life Insurance Policies
Some senior life insurance policies can be exchanged for Alzheimers care. Certain life insurance policies may be sold for a lump sum, which allows you to receive monthly payments. Some life insurance policies can also be converted into months or years at a residential care facility.
If you have a policy that builds cash value inside it, which basically means that it has a savings account inside of it, then an individual may be able to do a couple of different things to use those resources for long-term care, says Ash.
If you decide you no longer want the death benefit, you could cash out, or cancel, the policy and use the money to pay for memory care. Another option may be to take out a policy loan, says Ash. You use some money to pay for long-term care, but if its not all used, the rest remains a death benefit for beneficiaries. Be sure to talk with the insurance company or their agent about possible impacts to the policy, so you make an informed decision about whether or not this is a good idea for you.
A life insurance, long-term care hybrid policy is becoming more and more popular, says Ash. Many people have bought policies that have a death benefit as well as long-term care features.
If you have a life insurance policy and need ways to pay for memory care, check on the specific details with your insurance company. Many have special provisions that may help you afford memory care.
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