Does Government Have Financial Assistance for Alzheimer’s?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides financial support to those who’ve worked and paid into the Social Security system and are now unable to work due to a disability, including dementia. To be eligible for SSDI, a person must have enough work history and their condition must meet the SSA’s definition of a disability.

Help! Dementia recent article entitled, “Financial Costs and Planning for Dementia and Alzheimer’s,” explains that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides financial support to those who have a limited income and assets and are aged, blind, or disabled. People with dementia may be eligible for SSI, if they satisfy the income and asset limits set by the Social Security Administration.

The Area Agency on Aging has information and resources on financial assistance for those suffering from dementia. However, financial assistance can vary depending on the location and the services offered by the agency. Some services that the aging agency may provide include:

Information on government benefits, such as Medicaid, may be available to individuals with dementia and their families to help cover the costs of care.
Assistance with long-term care planning, like resources on long-term care options, including assisted living facilities and in-home care. They can help individuals with dementia and their families plan for their future care needs.
Information on financial assistance programs, such as grants and loans, may be available to individuals with dementia and their families to help cover the costs of care.
Life resource planners and elder law lawyers can be helpful to those with dementia and their families who need assistance with financial and legal planning.

Life resource planners are professionals who specialize in helping individuals and families plan for their future, including financial and legal planning. They can provide guidance on government benefits, caregiving and long-term care planning.

Elder law lawyers specialize in legal issues affecting older adults, including government benefits and long-term care planning.

Reference: Help! Dementia (Feb. 12, 2023) “Financial Costs and Planning for Dementia and Alzheimer’s”

Does Blackjack Keep My Brain Sharp?

People who regularly play non-digital games, like card or board games, have been found to do better on memory and thinking tests in their 70s than those who don’t.

That’s according to a recent study from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

The Money Talk News article from April 2020 entitled “This Pastime Can Keep Your Brain Sharp as You Age” reports that there’s even better news: Those who suddenly increased game playing during their 70s also were more likely to maintain certain cognitive skills.

So, break out Monopoly or get some people together to play bridge or blackjack!

For the long-term study, which was published in The Journals of Gerontology, psychologists tested more than 1,000 people born in 1936 beginning at age 70 in skills such as memory, problem-solving, thinking speed and general thinking ability.

Researchers repeated the tests every three years, until the study participants were 79. At two ages — 70 and 76 — the participants also reported how frequently they played non-digital games, such as bingo, cards, chess or crosswords.

Those who played more games later in life saw less decline in thinking skills from age 70 to 79.

This protective effect was especially evident in memory function and thinking speed.

The researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland noted that their findings were just the latest in a collection of evidence that supports a connection between engaging in activities throughout life and better thinking ability in old age.

In a university announcement about the study, co-author Ian Deary says:

“It would be good to find out if some of these games are more potent than others. We also point out that several other things are related to better cognitive aging, such as being physically fit and not smoking.”

So, chess anyone?

Reference: Money Talk News (April 23, 2020) “This Pastime Can Keep Your Brain Sharp as You Age”

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