The monetary expenditure involved in caring for a loved one with dementia can be at least three or four times higher than the amount used in caring for an average senior adult.
Recently, I received a correspondence from a woman who has been her mother’s primary caregiver for the past five years. In her letter, she explained that she must pay an outside caregiver $15 per hour. This was so that she could continue working to maintain her $18-per-hour job. She said, “A little bit’s better than nothing, and it gives me a chance to get some respite.”
Sadly, this dear caregiver only gets respite while she is at work. This is a problem we all need to work on.
Most caregivers have to give up their employment completely, bringing on the additional stress of facing financial ruin. I understand her dilemma only too well. When I was my dad’s primary caregiver, at first, I had to cut my working hours in half. Ultimately, I found it necessary to shrink those hours to about 12-15 a week if I was lucky. Any hours I could work were due to help from my beloved sister.

Regarding pharmaceutical costs. My dad had the Medicare D-Plan, which reached its limit so fast that we fell quickly into a financial crater.
Beware because additional costs may include:
- Hiring a home care agency
- Transforming the home into a safe haven
- Acquiring medical equipment
- Admittance into memory care or a nursing home
- Incontinence products
The list goes on and on. Trust me; these costs can easily bankrupt any family.
Click the button below to download our check-off list to help start getting the financial, legal, and health information together when a loved one is diagnosed. Please go through the list and talk to an Elder Law Attorney. Procrastination does not mix well with dementia.
Please note that the effects of this disease changes with time. You will need to revisit all plans frequently. All the above needs to be put into action as early as possible; immediately following their diagnosis is ideal. Please feel free to share this list with anyone else in need.

Gary Joseph LeBlanc, CDCS
DSF Education Director & Author