Personal approach to dementia caring

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Courier

BY MEG RAYNER

CARERS are being urged to take a personalised approach when dealing with dementia clients.
At a seminar for carers in Ballarat last week, Alzheimer's Australia education specialist John Price said it wimportant to build community awareness about the disease, which is on the rise.

"There will be a 400 per cent rise in the number of dementia cases by 2050," he said.

"It's very different for people, say, with heart disease who can take a tablet every day. People with dementia need carers.

"It's all about improving understanding to give them a better quality of life."

The Dementia Revisited seminar was held at the Queen Elizabeth Centre on Thursday afternoon and attracted about 20 carers to listen to Mr Price speak.

Dementia Awareness Week featured a number of events around the state.

Alzheimer's Australia chief executive officer Lynette Moore said it was important Victorians took the time to learn about this chronic health condition.

"While there is currently no cure for dementia, scientific research shows that it may be possible to reduce your risk of developing dementia or delay the onset," she said.

Seemingly “Innocent” Transfers and Medicaid

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie

Did you know that even seemingly innocent things like adding a son or daughter as a joint owner on an account can be viewed by Medicaid as a transfer of assets? We talked last time how transfers of assets for less than fair market value can create long periods of ineligibility. Well when most people think of transfers, they only think of the obvious-things like giving a loved one a gift of cash or giving them a car or maybe even transferring stock into their name.

But, even things like........read the whole post

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Alzheimer's treatment shows promise

NBC-2.com
LEE COUNTY: There is a promising new treatment in the fight against Alzheimer's disease and the study is happening in Southwest Florida.

Next month, Betty and Ed Mills will celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary.

In all their years together no challenge is bigger than this one: Betty is living with Alzheimer's.

"It's a shock. You're not sick. You feel good," said Betty.

The signs of the disease are there.

"I can't remember what we did two days ago," said Betty.

For someone having lived with Alzheimer's for a decade, Betty is doing well.

She credits.....read the whole article

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Medicaid Transfer of Asset Rules

paying for alzheimers care

Brian Willie

I see it everyday in my practice. A family member comes to see me because their money is quickly running out and they must put their loved one in a nursing home. They want to know how they can qualify for Medicaid to try and preserve at least some of their loved ones’ hard earned income and assets.

But through mis-information over the years, they have gone about things in the wrong way. Two of the biggest mistakes I see are:

1. The person with Alzheimer’s Disease gave away or loaned money to a relative, or a family member listed on a joint account thought that they needed to move the money away from the account to protect it-so they transferred it-either to themselves or someone else.

2. The family member who may have power of attorney provides care for the person with Alzheimer’s for several years in home, and may be compensating themselves out of the bank account of the person with Alzheimer’s.

Both trigger “transfer of asset” problems. What is the transfer of asset rule Medicaid follows? It differs from state to state, but in general this is a rule that Medicaid applies to determine if someone gave another person property or money for less than fair market value. In other words, if there was an actual fair market exchange (i.e. money for services) then Medicaid may not have a problem. But, if someone....... read the whole post

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Alzheimer’s- Me on Medicaid?

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie

I often have families come to me and proclaim that they would never need to go on Medicaid. “Isn’t Medicaid for poor families or families with limited resources?” Consider this: A spouse has $200,000 in savings, a home worth $300,000, a car and some personal property. The husband has had Alzheimer’s Disease for 6 years now, and unfortunately, it has steadily progressed to the point where his wife must place him in a skilled nursing facility. That facility charges $5,000 per month. The wife believes that she has too many assets to qualify for Medicaid, and so continues to pay privately, month after month, year after year.

You can guess what happens can’t you?.....read the whole post

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Alzheimer’s- Me on Medicaid?

payingforalzheimerscare
BRIAN WILLIE
I often have families come to me and proclaim that they would never need to go on Medicaid. “Isn’t Medicaid for poor families or families with limited resources?” Consider this: A spouse has $200,000 in savings, a home worth $300,000, a car and some personal property. The husband has had Alzheimer’s Disease for 6 years now, and unfortunately, it has steadily progressed to the point where his wife must place him in a skilled nursing facility. That facility charges $5,000 per month. The wife believes that she has too many assets to qualify for Medicaid, and so continues to pay privately, month after month, year after year.

You can guess what happens can’t you? Only 3 years into his stay, their savings is now gone. Four years later, the wife who has had a stroke and has burned through what Medicare will pay, needs to be in a 24 hour skilled nursing facility. How will she pay? Unless she has very high income (which most people at her age don’t), she will be required to use Medicaid paid nursing care. Let’s assume further that the couple has a 45 year old daughter with special needs who cannot care for herself. Had they considered Medicaid as.....click here to read the whole post

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

Alzheimer’s and Adult Day Care

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie
A major component of your loved one’s ability to remain at home as long as possible is interaction with others. Mind stimulating activities and frequent contact with other people facing similar circumstances is key. Adult day care is a great way to make sure your loved one receives this level of interaction, and can give you as a caregiver a much needed break.

It can also be a very cost-effective option when you compare it with the cost of nursing home care, assisted living facilities etc. Adult day care facilities can be for profit or run by non-profits and are set up to improve your loved one’s quality of life. There are more than 3,500 adult day care facilities in the United States. Many have registered nurses on-site. On average it costs anywhere from $40-60 per day and some facilities allow payment by the hour or half day.

This is a great option for families who want thier loved one with Alzheimer’s.....
read the whole post

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For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For caregiver education, click here

Alzheimer’s, Levels of Care

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie
You may be aware, but there are levels of care or a “continuum of care” you will be faced with as your loved one’s Alzheimer’s progresses. When your family member is still able to substantially care for themselves, they may live first in an indpendent living facility. Many times health services are provided and some have emergency systems built in.

However it is also very common for a family member to live with the person with Alzheimer’s. In many cases this is the adult child who is providing care as an in-home caregiver. It’s often necessary to supplement this care with at-home health care. This can be a great way to balance your life as a family caregiver but still bring in additional help. As we have discussed, it can be quite expensive and it may be difficult for many families to pay this cost over time.

Next comes assisted living facilities.....read the whole post

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Alzheimer’s Disease, Power of Attorney

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie

I often tell my clients that at the first sign of any form of dementia (and hopefully much sooner), they must put in place a properly drafted power of attorney. It is critical that a trusted family member or friend is given the authority to help make decisions on behalf of the person with Alzheimer’s. As the disease develops, there will be good days and bad days where your loved one may or may not have the capacity to sign legal documents. Often an attorney will run through a series of questions with your loved one to determine capacity, or may rely on a doctor’s findings.

Power of attorney documents are important because.....click here to read the whole post

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Alzheimer’s and dementia facts

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie

We’ve talked before about countable vs. non-countable assets, but one thing that must be considered as well is that Medicaid also looks at transfers of property, money etc that have occurred. In general, if your loved one with Alzheimer’s needs to apply for Medicaid, they will look back at all transfers that took place over the last 5 years (depends on your state) to see if they were proper or improper.

If Medcaid believes an improper.... click here for the whole story

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Alzheimer’s Facts

http://payingforalzheimerscare.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/alzheimers-facts/

We’ve talked before about countable vs. non-countable assets, but one thing that must be considered as well is that Medicaid also looks at transfers of property, money etc that have occurred. In general, if your loved one with Alzheimer’s needs to apply for Medicaid, they will look back at all transfers that took place over the last 5 years (depends on your state) to see if they were proper or improper.

If Medcaid believes an improper transfer took place, they can apply a penalty period for a transfer. So if for example your mom needs to go into a nursing home and apply for Medicaid, but 2 years ago she gave you $40,000, this may be viewed as an improper transfer subject to a penalty (it was within 5 years of the date she is in the nursing home and applied).

The penalty means.......click here for the whole story

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For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

Alzheimer’s, Medicaid and Resources

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie

When a family member has Alzheimer’s, it’s often neccesary to seek the assistance of Medicaid. Medicaid will want to know all resources (assets) available to the person applying. However, this does not mean that they will count all resources. Generally, there are countable and non-countable resources. When I say non-countable, this means that although they must be disclosed, Medicaid will not take them into consideration when determining whether your loved one qualifies. The following is a list of assets that in most states are considered non-countable:

A home, if the applicant has an intent to return home (generally up to $500,000 in equity)
One automobile
Personal effects
Life insurance with a total face value of $1,500 or less
Property used in a trade or business
It’s important to keep in mind ......READ THE WHOLE POST

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Alzheimer’s, Medicaid and the Problem of “Too Much Income”

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie
There are times when someone with Alzheimer’s must go into a nursing home and must apply for Medicaid to help pay for some or all of the costs. But, what happens when the Medicaid agency tells you your loved one with Alzheimer’s has “too much income” to qualify? Depending on your state, certain states are known as “income cap” states. This means that if your family member has over a certain amount of income, they exceed that “cap” and may not qualify for Medicaid. But wait a second–not so fast.

In many income cap states there is.....read the whole post

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Alzheimer’s and Home Health Care

payingforalzheimerscare

Brian Willie
For many families, home health care is the way to go to take care of their loved one with Alzheimer’s. That is, at least for awhile. There are some very good home health care providers, but they can be very expensive. The average cost is $16-24/hour. For the family that needs moderate levels of help, this may not be bad, but as care needs increase, and more and more hours must be spent on home health care, the Alzheimer’s family will face tremendous expenses. I recently met with someone who runs a home health service and she told me that it’s not uncommon for round the clock care to cost as much as $3,600 a week!

We will talk more about how a little known Veteran’s Benefit can.....read the whole post

Other dementia information here
Dementia activities here

Alzheimer’s Disease and Annuities

payingforalzheimerscare
Brian Willie
This is more of a warning than anything. For families facing Alzheimer’s-you must always be on the look out for unscrupulous financial planners and annuity sales people. Now don’t get me wrong, there are certainly reputable, good people out there who sell these products. The problem is, people with Alzheimer’s have a very high chance of needing skilled nursing care in the future.

This also means that they may very well need.... read the whole post

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Medicare and Alzheimer’s Disease

payingforalzheimerscare

by Brian Willie

Did you know that Medicare does not cover most of what a person with Alzheimer’s needs? Many people confuse Medicare and Medicaid. I like to look at it this way: Medicare only cares if you are “lucky” enough to have the right disease! I know –it sounds absurd. But it’s true. If your family member had a stroke and needed rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility following a hospital stay-Medicare probably cares about her and will pay-at least for awhile. If on the other hand your loved one has Alzheimer’s and needs that same skilled nursing stay-Medicare no longer cares. In that case other methods of paying must be explored.

For great tips, tricks and techniques on helping to pay for Alzheimer’s care visit: http://www.PayingForAlzheimersCare.com and get my FREE Ebook today

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Experimental Drug Could Help People with Alzheimer's Disease

voanews.com
Voice of America
By Deborah Block
Washington
17 December 2008
An experimental drug appears to be helping people who suffer from memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. The drug is called Dimebon. Early trials in Europe and Russia show it improves people's memories. Now another study is taking place in the United States.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disorder that gradually causes a decline in memory and language skills, and eventually, the ability to care for oneself. The risk of developing the disease increases as people grow older.

In Wisconsin, the Dean Foundation is one of a dozen research groups working with Alzheimer's patients to see if the drug Dimebon has long term effects. Dr. Leslie Taylor heads the study.

"It won't be a cure, but hopefully it will....read the whole article

For more information about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, click here

Click here for a great activities for dementia source

With Alzheimer's and other dementias, you can still have a good life

MayoClinic.com
Alzheimer's blog
By Angela Lunde
Here at the Mayo Clinic, I, along with my colleague from the Alzheimer's Association, facilitate "Memory Club," a group for persons with early Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, and their care partners. Here is what one of our former participants shared:

I worked as a computer engineer for 35 years. Several years ago I was having some problems. Things were not right. I had tests to see how my memory was. I was told I had Alzheimer's disease. I was 64 years old. I wondered if they could fix my Alzheimer's disease. I wondered how many others were like this. I wondered why me, I was too young.

Things have changed for me over the past couple of years. I spend more time looking for things. I get more frustrated. When I start to say something the words float away — that's the hardest.

I don't mind telling others about my disease. I want them to know why I am struggling. Telling others helps me cope.

I have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. I have 2 sisters. I have good friends. Being with others who accept my disease helps me cope.

When I am around people I usually have a good joke. I can't change the past, and I can't change what the future brings, so I choose not to worry about it. Humor helps that.

I participate in an early stage support group with others going through a similar situation. I find it helpful to be with others like me and see how they are handling it. Alzheimer's, from what I can tell, is not going away anytime soon. My support group helps me cope.

Most of all, my wife makes it possible......read it all

Ask A Doctor: There are ways to delay the onset of Alzheimer's and other dementias

htrnews.com
By Dr. Tresa Teehan • For the Herald Times Reporter

Question: Are there ways to slow down memory loss or dementia in the elderly?
Answer: Studies have shown that there are ways to slow the onset or progression of dementia, but no method is foolproof and individuals will respond differently.

Dementia is the progressive loss of memory and other mental functions. There is no cure for it, but medications are being studied in an attempt to discover the most effective treatment.

By the age of 65, nearly one in 10 people has some form of dementia, and by age 80, that number changes to nearly 1 in 5. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.

Generally speaking, in order to delay the onset of dementia, keeping the mind active and vital is key. Doing so can involve several different strategies:...read the whole article

Good news about a vitamin cocktail for those with Alzheimer's and other dementias

Listen to the videos about special vitamins for people with Alzzheimer's disease and other denemtias courtesy of YouTube.com: patriotledger
click here
There is also other informative information about Alzheimer's disease and dementia, shared