The Costs of Dementia-Part Two

Money Magazine’s second article on the costs of dementia focuses on the middle stage of dementia. Coping With the Costs of Dementia: The Middle Stage discusses a series of steps for the caregivers and family to take, not only for the present, but in positioning themselves for the final stage of the disease.  The article discusses a number of suggestions:

• greater levels of care, including adult day care and respite care and recommends only hiring caregivers with experience in caring for individuals with dementia;
• examine the terms of any long term care insurance policy, if the individual has one;
• if the individual is a veteran, look into VA benefits;
• examine the individual’s and family member’s investment portfolio; rearranging allocations to more conservative investments may be needed;
• investigate a reverse mortgage;
• caregivers should talk to employers about options; and
• begin to research nursing homes.