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How long can an Alzheimer’s patient survive?

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January 4, 2012

- Blog

A general review of various expert sources tells us that a person with Alzheimer’s disease can survive from three to 20 years after the first symptoms begin. The average length is about eight years.  Realize that individuals with Alzheimer’s progress at a different rates. Furthermore, not every victim experiences every symptom or ever stage. In addition, some people will plateau at a stage for a long time, while others might speed right through it to the next level. Alzheimer’s itself does not cause death, but it can be a contributing factor. The disease typically progresses to the point where the body’s organs begin to shut down. This, in turn, can cause myriad other problems. For example, some patients become bedridden. This can lead to deadly bedsores or other infections, or an illness such as pneumonia, which a patient might not be able to fight off. An excellent resource for families and caregivers can be purchased online or in bookstores. It is “The 36-hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life,” by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins. For further information please see the following links Alzheimers: https://abferrarolaw.com/chicago-illinois-alzheimers-caregiving-planning.html Medicaid (Don’t Go Broke in a Nursing Home): https://abferrarolaw.com/paying-for-nursing-home-care-in-chicago-illinois.html
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What is Dementia and How is it Related to Alzheimer’s Disease?

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December 29, 2011

- Alzheimer's Care

It’s important to know the distinctions between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The rates of individuals diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s in the general population are both rising. But be clear that the terms are not synonymous. In brief, dementia is a syndrome or group of symptoms that causes loss of intellectual function and usually progresses over time. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia and the one we hear about the most. In other words, not all people who are diagnosed with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease. To explore it a bit further, consider that according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, dementia is the “deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration and judgment, resulting form an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. It is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes.” There are conditions besides Alzheimer’s, such as depression, that also will cause dementia symptoms. Careful diagnosis of any dementia is essential in determining proper treatment and intervention. Some types of dementia are reversible, including: Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia (stroke), Pick’s disease, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Wilson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, frontotemporal dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (alcohol-related dementia) Possible causes of reversible dementia include: depression, drug use, alcohol and other poisons, nutritional deficiencies, brain disorders, certain diseases, a metabolic condition, organ dysfunction, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, hydrocephalus, syphilis, encephalitis and meningitis. Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible dementia condition. However, with appropriate interventions, even irreversible dementias can be managed. Family caregivers should seek reliable education and other assistance wherever possible. A good place to start is the doctor’s office, which typically has resources to get families started with this difficult process. For more information on the different types of dementia, visit any of these websites:
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How the Tough New Medicaid Rules for Long Term Care Affect You!!

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December 23, 2011

- Blog, Medicaid and Paying for Nursing Home Care

As we have been anticipating for over a year now, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (“the Department”) has finally adopted amendments to  “Medical Assistance Programs”, which can be found in 89 Illinois Admin. Code Part 120. These amendments will become effective on January 1, 2012, and will serve to implement the provisions of the Federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (“DRA”) regarding Medicaid assistance for long-term care in Illinois. Before being finalized, the rule changes went through many different revisions. Myself and several other elder law attorneys participated in the review of these rule revisions. The rules that have changed are many and complex.  For example, the new rules change the lookback period for reviewing prior transfers to as far back as January 1, 2007. This means that the rules regarding transfers are being applied retroactively despite outcry from the elder law community and many other industry groups.  The new rules will be applied to persons who file an application for Medicaid long-term care assistance on or after January 1, 2012. Also, regarding asset transfers for which a Medicaid applicant has received less than fair market value, (for example gifts to children or other persons- other that  what the Department considers “incidental”), there will be a period of Medicaid ineligibility for long-term care. This period of ineligibility will not begin,  however,  until the Medicaid Applicant is in the nursing home, spent down to poverty level and a Medicaid application is filed. Then, and only then,  will the ineligibility period begin to run! More specificity about how the new rules are  implemented will hopefully be available once the state issues its Policy Manual about the new rules. As of this date, no revision to the Policy Manual has been published to reflect the new rules. Read more about the devastating impact these rules will have on the senior and disabled community and why “Senior” Estate Planning is more important than ever. A more in depth discussion can be found in the “Elder Law Articles” section of our website. Look for many future blog entries on this topic. This is a “sea change” in the way our taxpayer – clients will become eligible for Medicaid payment for their nursing home care in the days ahead.  
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