Planning Long-Term Care for Those with Alzheimer’s

When a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the first thing they should consider is their options for long-term care. Unfortunately, the disease completely takes over a person’s mental faculties, resulting in their needing around-the-clock care. Most families won’t be able to take on such an arduous level of care, and long-term care will be essential for their continued health. Because long-term care is expensive, you’ll want to talk with a Springfield elder lawyer who can help you plan for covering these costs.

Understanding Your Options with Insurance and Long-Term Care

Because many adults who end up needing long-term care are best served by living in a specialized facility, the cost of long-term care can be like paying a mortgage or rent. As these facilities continuously change their business models, their prices can also go up too, making it difficult for families to predict the cost over the long term. What’s more, Alzheimer’s is a degenerative mental disease, but most patients can remain physically healthy for years after a diagnosis. This also shapes how a family can plan for long-term care. 

It’s important to understand that Medicare does not cover the cost of long-term care. Instead, long-term care plans are usually financed through private funds and insurance plans until those funds run out. At that point, Medicaid can be used to pay for long-term care. Finally, private long-term care insurance plans do exist and will provide coverage, but only if this plan was in place before the patient received their diagnosis. For many, the cost of obtaining a long-term care insurance policy in case the worst happens is usually worth considering. Your Springfield elder lawyer can offer more guidance. 

Long-Term Care: Housing Options

There are several different types of facilities that take in long-term care patients. Among them are assisted living facilities, which provide private apartments with in-house care and activities for older people. Many times, these facilities will have separate wards for their Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Communities such as life care facilities require lifelong commitments and are generally equipped to oversee a person’s health until they pass on. Nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities also provide live-in care, and are differentiated from other facilities because their care is around-the-clock. Determining which is right for your loved one will require a conversation with both their doctor and a knowledgeable Springfield elder lawyer. 

Contact a Springfield Elder Lawyer to Weigh Your Options

It can be disheartening to learn that your loved one is suffering from such a terrible disease like Alzheimer’s, but take comfort in the fact that a Springfield elder lawyer has plenty of experience in navigating your needs. Contact an attorney at our firm today to get started with your long-term care planning.