fbpx
Schedule Your Appointment - Fill Out the Form Below
Skip to content
The Law Office of Antoinette Bone, PLLC
  • Home
  • Practice Areas
    • Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning FAQs
      • Asset Protection
      • Ethical Wills
      • Special Needs Trusts
      • Special Needs Resources
    • Probate
    • Guardianship
  • Our Firm
    • Attorney
    • Speaking Opportunities
    • Firm Overview
  • Getting Started
  • Videos
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Gallery
  • Contact
  • Careers
817-462-5454

A Handful of Facts to Know About Dementia Caregiving

Posted on February 26, 2021 | by Lori Pulvermacher

Dementia in the American Population, in particular, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease, is creating difficult caregiving experiences for the family members who are primarily responsible for providing care. Even though you understand your loved one’s dementia behaviors are a symptom of the disease and not intentional or personally targeted to you, coping with them is often emotionally, financially, and physically challenging. Psychology Today reports caregivers routinely say, “Nobody really understands how hard caring for a loved one with dementia is!”

Psychology Today is also reporting five facts that you should know about dementia caregiving, particularly since its incidence is increasing in the United States. The first fact is nearly half of all people who provide care do so for someone with dementia. The statistic is 48 percent of caregivers are providing for those who have Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy body dementia, and more. Additionally, dementia is typically not the only ailment a loved one suffers from, and dementia can have long phases from preclinical to its last stage, making caregiving a long-term commitment. The complexity, hours, and level of care needed throughout the stages of dementia are staggering.

A second fact about dementia caregiving is that most people with dementia are not living in a nursing home or assisted living but rather with a family member. Most Americans aged 65 or more live in the community, with only about 4.5 percent (roughly 1.5 million) of older Americans living in nursing homes and 2 percent (1 million) in assisted living facilities, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These home care providers are more than two-thirds women (67 percent), and more than one-third of these are daughters.

Dementia, in particular Alzheimer’s, is the most expensive disease in America, costing more than heart disease and cancer. This third fact is unsurprising as care requirements are often needed 24/7 for years. The Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) Fact Sheet reports that in 2020 caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias cost American society an estimated 305 billion dollars. While much of this cost is born through Medicare and Medicaid spending, for caregivers, there is still an out-of-pocket expense that is nearly twice that of caregivers providing care for other conditions. Caregiver payouts can include medical care, personal care, respite care, household expenses, and more.

Additionally, the rate of progression of dementia disease varies widely. On average, a person with Alzheimer’s will live between three to eleven years post-diagnosis. Yet, there are some cases where patients survive twenty or more years. Typically, a caregiver for a loved one with dementia will provide care one to four years longer on average than caregivers of other conditions.

The majority of these dementia caregivers are still working in formal employment. The fourth fact is 60 percent of dementia caregivers are working about 35 hours a week. Dementia caregivers are pushed beyond normal limits to provide a loved one’s care nearly 24/7 while still maintaining roughly full-time work. Since an average dementia caregiver spends over eleven thousand dollars a year out-of-pocket providing care, there is little wonder about the necessity of almost full-time employment.

Finally, the fifth fact is that dementia caregivers suffer higher rates of stress, anxiety, and depression than caregivers tending to other medical problems because of their enormous workload and responsibility. Dementia caregivers also experience more health problems than those caring for other medical diagnoses. It is easy to understand this is the case due to the high-level of caregiving, nearly full-time work, and expenditures that are expected of them.

These five facts about dementia caregiving outline the need for caregiver resources and encouragement. Dementia care providers must tend to themselves during their journey of caregiving to persevere. If you know a dementia caregiver or have one in your family, consider what they go through as it is profound. Listen to their stories. Ensure they receive education about the best ways to approach their intense workload and help them identify national and local resources. Community support and understanding are essential for success in a dementia caregiver’s journey.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, we can help navigate how to find appropriate care, how to pay for it, and how to protect your home and savings. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you further.

Schedule an appointment or call our office by dialing (817) 462-5454.

 

To comply with the U.S. Treasury regulations, we must inform you that (i) any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this newsletter was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any person for the purpose of avoiding U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed on such person and (ii) each taxpayer should seek advice from their tax advisor based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances.

Nothing in this message is intended to provide legal advice.  This message is for educational purposes only.

Posted in Caregiving

Post navigation

Bad Reasons People Use to Keep Putting Off Estate Planning
How are Medicare and Medicaid Different?

Categories

Archives

  Thank you for Signing Up

Join Our Newsletter

Please complete this form to create an account, receive email updates and much more.
  Please correct the marked field(s) below.
Contact Email  *
1,true,6,Contact Email,2
First Name 
1,false,1,First Name,2
Last Name 
1,false,1,Last Name,2
*Required Fields

Get In Touch

We believe that your call should be returned within 24 hours.


800 N. Industrial Blvd., Suite 106
Euless, TX 76039

Phone: 682.428.3046
Email: info@abonelaw.com
Driving Directions:

While my address is Industrial Blvd, we are actually on Clinic Drive. Look for the tall red Super Value Pharmacy sign. Whether coming from the North or the South, you will turn off of Industrial Blvd. onto Clinic Dr. Our building is located up the hill just past the Super Value Pharmacy at the far end of the building.

Office Hours

Mon-Thurs8:30am-5:00pm
FriBy Appointment Only
Sat/SunClosed
Leave A Review
© 2023 The Law Office of Antoinette Bone, PLLC | A Website Design by Ahrens Technologies

DISCLAIMER: Material presented on The Law Offices of Antoinette Bone, PLLC website is intended for information purposes only. It is not intended as professsional advice and should not be construed as such. If you communicate with us through this site or otherwise in connection with a matter for which we do not already represent you, your communication may not be treated as privileged or confidential and does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the firm. If you communicate with us by e-mail in connection with a matter for which we already represent you, please remember that Internet e-mail is not secure and you should avoid sending sensitive or confidential Internet e-mail messages unless they are adequately encrypted.