You already know that Alzheimer’s is an expensive disease to live with. But what if your loved one needs memory care? How much will it cost? What can you do to make sure they get quality care at an affordable price? I’ll answer those questions and more in this blog post. We’ll also give tips on finding the best care possible for your loved ones while saving money. To start our series: understanding the actual cost of Alzheimer’s care in Georgia!
What Is Memory Care?
Memory care is specialized health care for people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Dementia can cause changes in your ability to think, communicate and make decisions. The goal of memory care in Woodstock, GA, is to help people with dementia continue living as independently as possible.
Memory care residents live in one-on-one units or small groups usually located on the same floor as independent living residents. This allows them easy access to activities and services without having to go through a locked door or across an open courtyard or parking lot alone if they need assistance getting around.
Memory Care Facilities In Georgia
The good news is that Georgia has a lot of memory care communities. The bad news is that most of them are in the Atlanta area, and you have to be willing to travel an hour or more just to visit your loved one.
How Much Does A Memory Care Facility Cost In Georgia?
While costs vary depending on the type of facility and services provided, the average cost for full-time memory care in a community or Alzheimer’s disease (AD) care at home is $3,271 per month. This can add up quickly for individuals who don’t have long-term care insurance coverage. The projected annual cost of this type of care was estimated to be more than $70 billion by 2025—an increase of more than 50 percent over 2010 numbers!
Home health care costs also tend to decrease over time as people get used to their new routines and adjust their lifestyles accordingly; so while it may seem like an expensive option at first glance, there may actually be savings down the road if your family finds a way to make it work financially speaking!
The National Institute on Aging estimates that about 10 percent of people aged 65 years or older will develop Alzheimer’s by age 85, with most developing symptoms between 60 and 84 years old. For those whose condition progresses rapidly enough to require round-the-clock professional assistance within two years after diagnosis with AD, Medicaid may cover some costs associated with their placement in an assisted living community or nursing home setting under specific circumstances (although Medicaid does not cover residential treatment centers).
However, there are limits on how much funding can be used toward paying for long-term skilled nursing services compared to other types of medical needs covered under this program, such as hospice care provided directly at home by a caregiver hired privately through an agency service provider authorized under contract by CMS since 2009 when current regulations went into effect allowing states to establish Section 1915(c) waiver programs which include both adult day health centers offering low-intensity therapy services such as occupational therapy during lunch hours while also providing respite during evenings/weekends when families need relief.
What Should You Be Looking For When Researching Memory Care Options?
There are a number of ways to gauge the quality of a memory care community, but they can all be boiled down to two general factors: the care team and their training.
The first thing you should ask when researching options is whether or not the senior-friendly independent living community is licensed and accredited. This information should be readily available on their website, but if it’s not easy for you to find it, contact the organization directly and ask them for verification. If they have neither license nor accreditation associated with their name, keep looking!
Some senior-friendly independent living communities may advertise that they employ only nurses and doctors on staff—but beware! The only natural way to know whether someone graduated from an accredited program is by checking their credentials directly with whatever agency they are issued (such as state boards or professional organizations). In addition to this basic research step, many things about your potential caregiver will speak volumes about how well-trained they are.
