Week of January 20 - January 26, 2008

Where does one begin when an upgraded level of care is needed, and there are no funds to pay for it?

The following is a real post made by Whiskers777 that appeared not long ago on the Alzheimer’s Weekly “Ask Ann” message board:

Hi Ann,

My mother has dementia/Alzheimers and lives alone. She needs more care than what she can afford. She is physically healthy, but her memory is going fast. She can't live with family members because of their health reasons, assisted living facilities are too expensive, adult daycare costs are too much, and she does not qualify for a nursing home with her insurance. HELP PLEASE!!!

Ann Replied:

Hello Whiskers,

The problem with juggling money, expenses, work hours and the need to care for a loved one is fraught with stress and outright fear of what might happen if you can't get it all under control.

There are so many people that face this issue, though, that perhaps you can at least take comfort in the fact that you are not alone.

To help everyone out, we made a page of Financial Assistance links. You can get to it by placing your mouse on LINKS at the top of this page, and then clicking on FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

In the days since Ann posted this response, the issue has appeared many times on the Alzheimer’s Weekly Boards, and this article is meant to tie a lot of pieces together. Here are the basics.

LINKS

The LINKS option appears at the top of every page on this site. LINKS is an ever growing, organized directory of the sites that we find most helpful and that our readers most highly recommend. It is a good place to go when you want to pursue any Alzheimer’s subject in depth. In order to help make the best use of the LINKS when looking for financial assistance, we organized about a dozen links on the subject. They appear in the order a sensible person would go about calling the various organizations.

BOARDS

In addition, the BOARDS option is also at the top of every page on this site. There, you can ask or discuss anything. Financial assistance is a subject that gets a lot of tough questions and helpful answers from Alzheimer’s Weekly readers. At the end of this article are links to the most recent discussions on the subject. You are invited to add your own experiences or questions.

THE FIRST STEP

If you are new to the world of obtaining financial assistance, the first step we recommend is to get a free counselor. Getting a counselor is crucial. Obtaining financial assistance for people with a long-term and changing illness such as Alzheimer’s can involve an overwhelming number of sources and details. Counselors know their way around, who to call, and where to start. Just surfing the internet leaves people exhausted and with many stones unturned. A counselor, on the other hand, is immersed in this subject. They are experienced at knowing what works best, and want to help you get it.

To find a free counselor, contact the U.S. government program called SHIP. With SHIP, each State provides for counselors trained in the details of all applicable programs within the State. The counselors also know all the ins and outs of Medicare, which is usually the root of medical assistance. Click here for our Financial Assistance Links, where you will find SHIP. Once on the SHIP site, select your State, and call the first telephone number that appears on the page. Ask for a counselor who can help you get financial assistance, and you should be on your way.

In addition to talking to a counselor, spend time surfing our other LINKS on Financial Assistance. educate yourself on the many available programs. There are a lot of good people and good programs out there that want to help, but you need to do the legwork. Visiting their sites is a smart place to start.

DECIDE IF YOU NEED MEDICARE PART B ASAP

Medicare has Two Parts:

Part A (Hospital Insurance) Most people don't have to pay for Part A.

Part B (Medical Insurance) Most people pay a monthly fee for Part B.

The good news is that when you pay the low rates for Medicare Part B insurance, it pays for many services that are not covered by regular Medicare.

The bad news is that registration for Medicare Part B is only possible once a year. Moreover, the cost of Part B goes up 10 percent for each full 12-month period that you could have been enrolled in the program, but weren’t. There are some exceptions, but for those who are not exempt, this penalty will last for as long as Part B is in force.

Here’s an important bit of news as well: If you didn’t sign up for Medicare Part B when you first became eligible, you may be able to sign up during the General Enrollment Period. This period runs from January 1 through March 31 of each year.

You will find more information about this by going to the Medicare site’s topic of “General Enrollment Period.”

More information:

LINKS to financial assistance

Discussions on the Alzheimer’s Weekly Boards

Mom is low income! How do we pay for housing?

Can't afford help

Low on funds, where do I go?

By:

Peter Berger, Alzheimer's Weekly

Copyright:

Copyright © 2008 Alzheimer's Weekly. All rights reserved.