Miami Alzheimer’s Care
As we age, there are a number of health factors that may affect us, including the primary cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease. In Florida, 500,000 seniors are living with the disease. That number is growing, and by 2025 over 720,000 Floridians are projected to be impacted by Alzheimer’s.
Someone with Alzheimer’s can find a number of support groups, educational opportunities, clinical trials and more to become involved in within the community. While there is no known cure, there are many options for treatment and management of Alzheimer’s.
Reach out to the Southeast Florida Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to take advantage of their programs in the Miami area. This local chapter of the nationally recognized non-profit has resources for patients, caregivers, trial matching, support groups, physician resources, and fundraising opportunities to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.
There are many options that provide care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s in the Miami area, including over 70 different memory care facilities. Among them is one that SeniorAdvisor.com has awarded 2016 Best of Senior Living Award, Santa Barbara BH. A number of additional facilities have also received extremely high ratings on their website.
Alzheimer’s Facts in Miami and in Florida
As a nation, over 5.3 million seniors have Alzheimer’s disease. This significant health threat continues to grow and has become a top of mind issue for Americans.
In a 2015 report, the Alzheimer’s Association discovered that 12% of the Florida population has Alzheimer’s disease. In the Miami-Dade region specifically, they estimated just over 46,000 seniors had the disease.
Over 5,000 Floridians died from the disease in 2012. Nationally, Alzheimer’s is ranked the 6th leading cause of death.
Millions of friends, family, and loved ones are investing their time in caring for someone with the disease. In 2014, 1.058 million caregivers spent over 1.205 billion hours with someone with Alzheimer’s.
This unpaid care by loved ones totals over $14.669 billion in the state of Florida alone.
Caregivers may have their health negatively impacted by the added daily stress. The health costs totaled $688 million in 2014.
In 2014, over 41,000 people participated in an Alzheimer’s Association support group in the Southeast Florida region.
There are over 500 open studies nationwide for Alzheimer’s research.
Understanding your Options for Alzheimer’s Care
After receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, it’s important to understand the care options available and find the right fit for your needs. While there are a plethora of options to choose from in Miami, most fall into one of three general categories: residential or assisted living care, adult day care, and in-home care. The type of care needed will depend on the progression of the disease and the level of assistance required.
Rest assured that deciding which option is best for your loved one is overwhelming for most, and there truly is no wrong choice. Spend the necessary time to understand and weigh your options to find the right fit for you.
Monthly Care Investment in Miami
Alzheimer’s care is not inexpensive, and the cost of care continues to climb as more Americans are diagnosed with the disease. Figuring out what the exact cost to you may be a bit complex as there are a variety of factors that can influence the monthly investment including insurance coverage, geographic location, the level of care needed, and more.
For a general guideline and estimate on what a monthly investment in long-term care could look like in Miami, we will reference Genworth’s 2015 Cost of Care study that averages facilities in individual communities throughout the country. According to these figures, a semi-private room in a nursing home facility would cost $8,220 on average in the Miami area. This average is also based on the highest level of care required. A private room would have a monthly investment of $8,882. These Miami estimates are well above the national averages of $6,692 and $7,604, due to the geographic location, demand for services, and cost of healthcare in the state.
Financing Alzheimer’s Care in Miami
After deciding what level of care is best for you or your loved one, it will be necessary to determine how to finance their care needs. There are a number of options for covering the cost of Alzheimer’s care, and it’s important that families explore each in an effort to provide the best care possible for their loved ones within their financial abilities.
Cost Management
Nursing home care is both the most costly, and most comprehensive type of care. As Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, over time many families need to explore this option for the safety and well-being of their loved one. In the Miami area, a private room in a facility is over $650 per month more costly than a semi-private living situation. Over the course of a year, this difference could total as much as $8,000 on average. If the time comes to consider nursing home care for a loved one, asking the facility about semi-private options could be an excellent way to manage some of the costs.
In-home care is an excellent option for many families, as the costs can be significantly lower, and Adult Day programs are available to allow caregivers to continue to work or spend time out of the home knowing that their loved one with Alzheimer’s is still safe and supervised. In the Miami area, Adult Day programs average just over $1,400 per month, and there are dozens of options available. Consider reaching out to the Adult Day Care department of Community Action and Human Services to inquire about programs in your area.
Care Funding
There are a number of options for financing care. Here we discuss three of the most common avenues, who they are available to, and how to qualify.
One common method of financing Alzheimer’s care is through a long-term care insurance policy. This policy would have been purchased prior to the diagnosis, and monthly payments will need to be made to keep it in effect. In most cases, the policy will cover the majority of expenses associated with the care. Reach out to the company or agent directly to understand the benefits and any limitations of the coverage.
A second method that may be available if the diagnosed senior was a war veteran, or the widow of a veteran, who served in the U.S. military during an active wartime is the VA Aid & Attendance program. A number of criteria need to be met to qualify. For eligibility criteria or to fill out an application, contact the Regional Benefits office in St. Petersburg. For more general information about A&A, visit this website.
Medicaid assistance is available to qualified seniors who have a low-income, limited assets, and are unable to pay for their long-term care. The assistance program requires an application that you can find, along with other information and eligibility criteria on the Florida benefits page, or you can find your local benefits office here.