Tucson Alzheimer’s Care

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that steals away family members. The fact is, this is a condition that affects millions of people and families all across the nation. In Arizona alone, there are more than 97,000 people who have this horrible disease. This number is expected to continue to increase as the cost of care and the condition spreads further. While this is not a statistic that is exactly optimistic, there are now more resources than ever before to help families, patients, doctors and caregivers who are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.

Tucson and the state of Arizona has a national chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, which helps ensure residents have the resources and information necessary to take care of those in the community who suffer from this debilitating disease.

Tucson and Arizona: Facts and Stats on Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is increasing steadily year after year. This is proven by the numbers that continue to increase.

There are currently more than 4.5 million people across the U.S. that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; however, this only represents 45 percent of the population who actually suffers from the disease.

Approximately one in every 10 people in Tucson who is over the age of 65 has this disease.

This memory condition, as well as other types of dementia, affect 50 percent of people in Arizona who are over the age of 85.

Types of Alzheimer’s Care

The memory care services available to residents and patients in Tucson and the state of Arizona are vast. In many cases, the care a person needs and receives will be based on the severity of their condition. There are some who suffer from Alzheimer’s who can remain in their own home with in-home care support. However, others will need more comprehensive care, such as what is offered at a memory care community.

Memory care communities are designed to provide comprehensive care services for those suffering from memory-related issues. This includes supervision to prevent falls and wandering, as well as a variety of social activities that help to keep the person engaged with the world around them. Other monitoring services help to ensure that the patient receives proper nutrition on a regular basis. This type of care is extensive and therefore can be quite costly.

Tucson Costs for Alzheimer’s Care

Alzheimer’s disease is considered the most expensive, long-term condition that people have to receive care for. There are currently just under 300,000 caregivers who are providing unpaid care for a value of more than $4.1 billion dollars. This is a number that is going to continue to go up as time passes.

While there are some people who believe that Medicare will pay for Alzheimer’s care, there are quite a few memory care facilities in Tucson that simply don’t accept this. This means if a family wants a private room for their family member in a skilled nursing facility, they can expect to pay up to $90,896 annually. For assisted living services, the cost is approximately $45,000.

Help for Alzheimer’s Related Care Costs

There are many people who are seeking help for paying for this memory care to ensure that their loved ones receive quality care.

Medicare coverage

The federal insurance program offered by the government, Medicare, provides coverage for those who are over the age of 65. However, it will not pay for long-term care, which includes home care, besides 100 days of skilled services or some type of rehabilitative care.

This leaves family forced to figure out how they will pay for the services they need. One option is ALTCS, while others include private pay by the family or veterans aid.

Making a Plan

This is why it is so important for people to plan early for memory care services. The cost that will have to be paid continues to increase, which means that those who are affected by this down the road will only have to pay more as the year’s pass. Purchasing additional insurance and long-term care insurance will help ensure that these costs are able to be covered when the time comes.

Getting Assistance in Tucson

There are options for help, but it is essential that a family qualifies for this help. ALTCS is a program for disabled, low-income seniors. It will pay for both out-of-home and in-home care for seniors with memory disorders. This is one of the most effective ways to get the help that is needed for long-term memory care.