More support needed for growing number of family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients

Ross Davis, Connecticut State Director for the company’s subsidiary, Caregiver Homes, was featured in the New Haven Register this week. Davis discusses the growing number of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients and the hardships their caregivers face. Davis focuses on Connecticut’s work to build better solutions to assist families affected by the disease. 

Via New Haven Register: 

“There are more than 13 million people nationwide providing 15 billion hours’ worth of care for Alzheimer’s patients. The work these individuals do each day is remarkable. Some do this part-time, others provide care around the clock. Many take on the caregiver role while attempting to hold jobs, raise families and manage households.

Caregivers’ circumstances vary, but for everyone the work is physically and emotionally draining, and the motivation is not a paycheck but a sense of duty and love. If you put a price tag on their dedication, the value of family caregiver services would be almost $200 billion.

It’s time we recognize this value, specifically those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. With the accelerating growth in patients and costs, we can’t afford not to.

Connecticut has made great strides in supporting these patients and their families. The state’s Adult Family Living Program (AFL), for example, provides financial and support services to family members or individuals that act as primary in-home caregivers to patients with complex medical conditions like Alzheimer’s. This lets older adults fulfill a desire to remain at home instead of moving to a skilled nursing facility.”

To read the full article, click here.