Los Angeles Alzheimer’s Care

There are over 5 million people that suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and the number is only getting larger with each passing year. The chances are high that you’re in some way affected by this debilitating disease and you might be worrying about a loved one who has Alzheimer’s. The amount of time and money it takes to care for an Alzheimer’s patient is growing and it can cause a family a lot of stress.

Luckily, there are plenty of resources, information, and help to make sure that your loved ones are well cared for and that your family is as stress-free as possible. California might have over 580,000 people affected by Alzheimer’s, but they also have a lot of great resources located in the Los Angeles area.

You can visit the Los Angeles active chapter in the Alzheimer’s Association for more information and support. Los Angeles is also home to dozens of senior care facilities that are dedicated to taking care of Alzheimer’s patients including the award-winning facilities like Belmont Village Hollywood and Olympic Board and Care.

California Alzheimer’s Stats

Every 70 seconds, someone in America is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and California is home to one-tenth of the entire Alzheimer’s population.

Alzheimer’s is the 5th leading cause of death in California.

The rate of diagnosed cases in California has increased 169% since 2010.

The number of cases in California is expected to nearly triple in the next 15 years due to the rapidly aging population.

In 2014, there were 1,573,000 caregivers in California providing over 1.7 million hours of unpaid care that totaled over $20 billion.

Care For Alzheimer’s In California

If your family member has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, you might feel overwhelmed with the amount of information coming at you. One of the first things that you want to look at is the type of care your loved one is going to need. There are plenty of options but the thing to keep in mind is choosing a care plan that is going to make your family member feel safe and comfortable.

You can choose to use an adult day care program that will look after the Alzheimer’s patient while you’re at work or away for a short period of time. These places have trained professionals who specialize in Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia so you know they are getting the best care.

You can also choose to have someone come into your home to work one on one with the patient. This might be a good option if your family member gets stressed out in a group setting or is a little unsure about leaving their home. There are also residential facilities that are specially designed for people with Alzheimer’s and can provide around the clock care for your loved one.

Cost For Alzheimer’s In California

Any care plan that you choose is going to cost money and unfortunately, it isn’t a small cost. Alzheimer’s is costing the country $226 billion and that number could reach the trillions by the year 2050. The cost of care in California can vary from region to region and each option is going to be different.

In Los Angeles, the annual cost in 2015 of an assisted living facility was $45,600 with adult day care programs costing $18,330 each year, and in-home care costing $49,764 per year. Most of those numbers are going to increase by at least 2% over the next five years.

How To Pay For Alzheimer’s Costs

Don’t start worrying about those numbers yet. Yes, they are high but there are ways you can lower the cost as well as find financial help to ease the burden.

If you are solely responsible for the care of your loved one, you might want to look into adult day care programs. These programs will allow you to work during the day while your family member is taken care of by trained professionals. This option costs less than other care options while giving you a break from your responsibilities. Places like St. Barnabas Services and Opica Adult Day Care Center are located in Los Angeles and provide day care programs. You can also look into getting a semi-private room at a long-term care facility to help lower the cost and save about $20,000 with this option.

To help pay for care, you can check to see if your family member has long-term care insurance. This option will help cover most if not all of the costs associated with Alzheimer’s care. Check with their agent to learn the terms of their policy and see what is covered. You can also receive funding from Veteran’s Benefits and Medicaid. While VA benefits might not cover much, Medicaid can cover a lot of the care costs as long as you’re eligible.

For even more financial help, check government grants and groups like the Life Care Funding Group to search all of your money choices.