Tag Archives: Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Triples Health Care Costs For Seniors

Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t just take a toll on the memories and general quality of life for a senior diagnosed with the disease. Total health care costs for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are more than three times higher than for other people age 65 and older, the Alzheimer’s Association’s said in their recently released Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.

The report shows that Medicare payments alone are almost three times higher for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia than for others age 65 and over. And Medicaid payments alone are more than nine times higher.

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Alzheimer's News: Heart Disorder and Alzheimer’s May Be Linked

Seniors who suffer from a common heart rhythm problem show an increased likelihood to develop Alzheimer’s disease, a new study finds.  Researchers at Utah’s Intermountain Medical Center found:

Patients with atrial fibrillation were 44 percent more likely to develop dementia than patients without the heart disorder.

Younger patients with atrial fibrillation were at higher risk of developing all types of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s. Atrial fibrillation patients under age 70 were 130 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

Patients who had both atrial fibrillation and dementia were 61 percent more likely to die during the study period than dementia patients without the rhythm problem.

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Alzheimer's Disease Is The #1 Form Of Dementia

The better you understand the different kinds of dementia the better you’ll be able to help an aging parent or loved one who may become afflicted.  The symptoms they may be suffering from are determined by the kind of dementia they have, and how far it’s progressed.  These are the most common types of dementia:

  1. Alzheimer’s accounts for over 70% of all dementia cases and affects over 5 million Americans.  Symptoms include memory and speech problems, mood swings, difficulty with learning and disorientation.
  2. Vascular Dementia is caused by strokes, and this type of dementia can begin rapidly and progress quickly.
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Planning Ahead For Senior Care

A senior should be involved every step of the way in their own planning, especially if there could be the potential for Alzheimer’s Disease or some other form of dementia, that would render them unable to contribute in the future.

What documents do you need? Legal documents are called advance directives and enable you to document your preferences regarding treatment and care, including end-of-life wishes.  Talk with family and your doctor about your preferences for end-of-life care.

Families won’t have to guess what decisions should be or would have been made, if you sign advance directives.  These documents include:

Posted in Accountants & Taxes, Aging Loved Ones, Caring For Parents, Elder Law Attorneys & Estate Planning, Financial Planning Advisors For Seniors, Financing Senior Care, Long Term Care, Long Term Care Insurance, News Affecting Caregivers, Senior Care Advisors, Senior Care Choices, Senior Legal Issues | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How Do I Handle Seniors With Mental Issues?

When the ravages of aging begin to debilitate a person’s physical being, the situation is even more compounded and cruel when there are mental issues involved.  This isn’t a Baby Boomer issue — it’s a human issue.

There has been a great deal written about Alzheimer’s Disease as well as Dementia, that affects the brain and overall personality for many of the elderly.  However, what happens when a person has battled depression or other psychological disorders all their life, and they’re faced with their body (and life) starting to ‘shut down’?  How does a person who is helping with the caregiving, especially children and relatives, deal with a sad situation that is now more magnified?

Posted in Aging Loved Ones, Baby Boomers, Caring For Parents, Depression, Long Term Care, News Affecting Caregivers, Senior Caregiver Stress | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Knowing Alzheimer's

Many older adults view Alzheimer’s as a cause for anxiety, especially since this disease, a brain disorder that affects memory, thinking and reasoning skills, is connected to aging.

According to the Alzheimer’s Associations 2009 report, nearly 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease; most develop symptoms after age 60.  This number is expected to double within 20 years.  In fact, 50% of those currently 85 and older will probably succumb to Alzheimer’s or other related dementia conditions.  Total healthcare costs are three times higher for Americans with Alzheimer’s and other dementia than for other people age 65+, putting a financial burden on both families and programs.

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GeriCareFinder.com wins Best Interactive Website Award

New company honored as resource for finding senior care services and providers.

Less than two years old, GeriCareFinder, Inc. has won the 2009 Best Interactive Award for their senior care website, www.GeriCareFinder.com.

GeriCareFinder.com won the gold award for “Best Interactive Site” In the 10th annual eHealthcare Leadership award competition, topping older & more established companies like the Mayo Clinic, Microsoft and Humana, Inc.  More than 220 healthcare organizations’ websites competed for outstanding design, content, and excellence.  116 judges evaluated entries across nearly 60 factors.

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Retirement Homes, Assisted Living, Nursing Homes – What's The Difference?

The first time you are faced with having to make a decision for the care of an aging senior, you’re thrown into a new frontier of terms, definitions and abbreviations you’ve never encountered before.

Welcome to trying to navigate just the types of senior care available, as caring for seniors has grown in importance with the aging baby boomers and increased life expectancies.  To help, we offer some easy to understand definitions of the types of care choices available today:

Home Care Companion Helper: A Home Health Agency (HHA) is usually the provider of home companion helper care in a person’s home.  Services often include light housework, companionship, errands, and grocery shopping and/or meal preparation.

Posted in Adult Day Care, Aging Loved Ones, Alzheimer's Care, Assisted Living, Baby Boomers, Caring For Parents, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Custodial Care, Dementia Care, Home Care Helpers, Home Care Nursing, Hospice Care, Long Term Care, Nursing Homes, Palliative Care, Retirement Communities, Retirement Homes, Senior Care Choices, Skilled Nursing Facilities | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Kind Of Senior Care Is Best?

It’s often very difficult to decide what type of care is best, whether that would be in-home care like a helper, or home care nursing, or other out-of-home care like adult day care, retirement homes, assisted living, nursing care, alzheimer’s care, etc.,

How much care deends on how independently he or she can do everyday things.  For example, if you or someone you love and care for has dementia, you may need help with daily tasks such as:

  • Shopping
  • Paying Bills
  • House Cleaning
  • Meals
  • Using The Phone
  • Laundry
  • Transportation
Posted in Adult Day Care, Aging Loved Ones, Alzheimer's Care, Assisted Living, Caring For Parents, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Dementia Care, Home Care Helpers, Home Care Nursing, Hospice Care, Long Term Care, News Affecting Caregivers, Nursing Homes, Retirement Communities, Retirement Homes, Senior Care Choices, Skilled Nursing Facilities | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Long Term Care Concerns

When you’re in the process of evaluating any long term care needs for aging parent’s or loved ones, it’s normal to be apprehensive about trying something new.  Consequently, you may want to know about these specific areas when choosing your long term care option:

Cost.  You may be concerned about how to pay for care.  Look into financial assistance such as scholarships, sliding scale fees or government programs.  There are different costs for home care helpers, in-home nurses, adult day care, retirement homes and retirement communities, assisted living, skilled nursing, and those facilities specializing in Alzheimer’s or Dementia care as well.  We recommend you check out this helpful source to better understand and consider the many different funding options for long term care:  http://bit.ly/10BMgP

Posted in Aging Loved Ones, Alzheimer's Care, Alzheimer's Disease, Caring For Parents, Dementia Care, Financing Senior Care, Funding Alternatives For Senior Care, Home Care Helpers, Home Care Provider Tips, Long Term Care, News Affecting Caregivers, Nursing Homes, Retirement Homes, Senior Care Choices, Senior Caregiver Stress, Skilled Nursing Facilities | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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