What you need to know about Alzheimer's

Key Facts about Alzheimer's

The number of Americans with Alzheimer's is projected to rise by 55% by 2030, and by 2050 the Alzheimer's Association estimates the total number could explode to nearly 14 million.

Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in America, yet there is no cure, there are no survivors, no way to prevent it, and no way to slow it down.  It already exceeds the cost of cancer and heart disease, yet very little is being spent on research.  For the first time, the NIH increased the investment in Alzheimer's research in 2016.  There are 80 drugs currently in development.

Since 1990, the number of cases has increased by 71%.  In Florida alone, there are 500,000 people with Alzheimer's and the expenditures for Alzheimer's has increased by 600% since 2006. They actually have a waiting list for Medicaid in Florida with some people waiting up to 5 years.

We offer people one of the few planning tools designed specifically to address the threat of Alzheimer's and other conditions that arise as we age and become frail.  You can reach us at lucy@altavistaben.com or 614-889-0934.

For a detailed look at the Alzheimer's video,  visit:

http://www.tpt.org/alzheimers-every-minute-counts/video/alzheimers-every-minute-counts-every-minute-counts/

Does Medicare or Medicaid pay for Long Term Care?

Many people confuse Medicare with Medicaid and assume they will be covered for long term care by Medicare.  Medicare, which is the Federal program, only pays for skilled care when there is a diagnosis that you will get better.  It typically occurs after a hospital stays and is limited to a maximum of 100 days.

Most long term care is custodial care, not skilled care and occurs for months and even years.  In a recent poll, 34% of the people surveyed thought Medicare would pay for ongoing nursing home care and 36% for ongoing home care. If people understood that Medicare isn’t going to pay for their long term care and they were going to end up paying for it themselves until they spent most of their life savings and qualified for Medicaid, many of them would be willing to purchase long term care insurance.Alta Vista Benefits