This issue includes six caregiver article excerpts. These include: the importance of knowing about the risks of falling; Genworth’s cost of care; pros and cons of different methods of covering care costs; a 100-year-old TB vaccine and its role in Alzheimer’s; how the words we use affect how dementia is perceived; and social connections and the big difference they make in caregivers’ lives and in the lives of people with dementia.
Is the 100-year-old TB vaccine a new weapon against Alzheimer’s?
The Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine for tuberculosis may offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease, possibly through a process called trained immunity, where the vaccine boosts immunity to prevent pathogens from reaching neural tissue where they might promote amyloid beta production. A meta-analysis has shown that the BCG vaccine may lead to an average 45% reduction in the risk for dementia, though further research is needed.
Thank you ASA’s SmartBrief for this.
When it comes to dementia care, experts say words matter.
“… change needs to start with leaders modeling more positive, person-centered language, and with educating staff members and resident families about the effects of language…” “The words leaders choose frame what employees believe they should focus on during their daily interactions with residents.” Instead of victim-oriented language and a focus on Alzheimer’s as a death sentence, we need to see the people with dementia. The article links to the Alzheimer’s Association’s “inclusive language guide.”
Genworth’s Annual Cost of Care Survey
Estimates are that “7 out of 10 people will require long term care in their lifetime.” While the costs of care continue to rise due to inflation and a shortage of skilled caregivers, the numbers in other surveys show that people with dementia require about two to three years of memory or nursing care. The median average cost of skilled care across the U.S. is about $104,000 per year. Assisted living is 38% lower with an average cost of $64,200 a year. Interestingly, the cost of in-home care has risen above that of assisted living or community care according to this survey. (Caregivers require livable wages.) Be prepared. Know what to expect. Take time to review the findings of this comprehensive and interactive survey.
Fall Risk Facts & Statistics*
“One in four older adults fall every year in the United States. An overwhelming majority… fall indoors compared to outdoors, with the home [the bedroom being] the most common location for falls. Falls are not an inevitable part of aging, and risk factors vary from person to person” including those who use five or more medications. Decluttering is a key strategy to prevent environment-caused falls.
Active Social Lives Can Help People with Dementia and Caregivers Thrive
“Unmet social needs negatively impact quality of life. That can lead to health outcomes like depression and cardiovascular disease,” in addition to the need for greater health-care and early death, according to Ashwin Kotwal, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics. “Participating in support groups, [where] patients and their caregivers can meet separately, may [provide] low[er]-stress places to socialize and get advice,” said Krista Harrison, PhD, of the UCSF Division of Geriatrics.
Guide to Paying for Long Term Care without Breaking the Bank*
Money Geek overviews the pros and cons of different payment options for long-term care. Five options are: long-term care insurance; Medicaid; hybrid annuities; life insurance with a long-term care rider; and reverse mortgage. Scroll down to the section, “Financing Options for Long-term Care.”
*Thank you, Alicia Fuentes at Money Geek Online and Laurie Thomas with Help Guide, for sharing two of the articles excerpted above. While I received each of your emails including your follow-ups, my replies to each of you are undelivered. It may be due to your cloud server blocking my 20+ year-old email address.
