Medicare, Alzheimer’s, and Dementia; Facts and Resources

talkingMEDICARE; News to Use for Agents in the Senior Market

Dementia: the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. These functions include memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-management, and the ability to focus and pay attention. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

Alzheimer ’s Disease: a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia.

As you meet with your clients you offer products that provide peace of mind through protecting their finances and offering them access to care. Access to care can come in many forms. Help your clients through knowing when and where a person can get care and just how much Medicare can be involved during an especially trying period. The complex nature of this disease will no doubt create issues that your clients will need your help with. Sharing information with clients beyond the obvious will also result in them telling others about you going above and beyond in helping them.

EVERY 65 SECONDS SOMEONE IN THE UNITED STATES DEVELOPS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE.

It is estimated that there are more than 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. This includes the over 5 million people age 65 and older and 200,000 people younger than age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050 the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is projected to rise to nearly 14 million.

At this time, there is no treatment to cure, delay or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. FDA-approved drugs temporarily slow worsening of symptoms for about 6 to 12 months, on average, for about half of the individuals who take them.

Alzheimer’s disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully takes away a person’s identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his or her way home.

Alzheimer’s kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

16.1 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

People with Alzheimer’s or other dementias have twice as many hospital stays per year as other older people. Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.

Of the total lifetime cost of caring for someone with dementia, 70 percent is borne by families — either through out-of-pocket health and long-term care expenses or from the value of unpaid care.

Average per-person Medicare spending for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is more than three times higher than average per-person spending across all other older adults. Medicaid payments are 23 times higher.

Medicare Benefits Available

Annual Wellness Visit’s Cognitive Assessment Benefit

• https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-visit-yearly-wellness-exams
• https://www.medicareinteractive.org/get-answers/medicare-covered-services/preventive-services/annual-wellness-visit

Tests or Services Covered – https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/is-your-test-item-or-service-covered

Long Term Care Choices – https://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/what-part-a-covers/what-are-my-other-long-term-care-choices

Home Healthcare – https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services

State by State Resources – https://www.medicare.gov/contacts/

Medicaid Information by State

https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/index.html

Information and Educational Resources

The Alzheimer’s Association – www.alz.org

Medications for Memory https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments/medications-for-memory

Media Kit https://www.alz.org/press/press_resources

National Institute on Aging – https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers

Alzheimer’s disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR) – https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/about-adear-center

Medline Plus – http://medlineplus.gov

Alzheimer’s Caregivers https://medlineplus.gov/alzheimerscaregivers.html

Resource Library on Alzheimer’s https://medlineplus.gov/alzheimersdisease.html

Resource Library on Dementia https://medlineplus.gov/dementia.html

Eldercare Locator – https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx

Financial Care Giving – https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/managing-someone-elses-money/

Benefits.gov – Official government benefits website. It is a free, confidential tool that helps individuals find government benefits they may be eligible to receive. – https://www.benefits.gov/

Help for Veterans and Their Families

Geriatrics and Extended Care – Dementia Care (including Alzheimer’s) – https://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/Alzheimers_and_Dementia_Care.asp

VA Caregiver Support – https://www.caregiver.va.gov/

VA Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, and Home Health Care – https://www.va.gov/health-care/about-va-health-benefits/long-term-care/

Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services – https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/guide/longtermcare/veteran-directed_care.asp

Veterans and survivors who are eligible for a VA pension and require the aid and attendance of another person, or are housebound, may be eligible for additional monetary payment. These benefits are paid in addition to monthly pension, and they are not paid without eligibility to Pension.  – https://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/aid_attendance_housebound.asp