Dementia care can cost a fortune. Families pay in more ways than one.
Families caring for relatives with dementia face significant financial and emotional burdens, with costs often exceeding $7,000 per month. The article highlights the lack of systemic support for the growing number of Americans navigating long-term memory care.
Why it matters
It underscores a critical social and economic crisis regarding aging populations and the high cost of healthcare in the United States.
Angela Davis, 65, has cared for her mother with dementia for the past few years. Camille Farrah Lenain for BI When Angela Davis discovered that her mother with dementia had changed the locks, she knew she had to intervene. After a standard care facility didn't cut it, Davis, 65, moved her mother into her own home. Davis now manages her medications, assists with her hygiene, and monitors her at night. She sleeps on a love seat near her mom's room in case anything happens. Her mom's care, plus home maintenance , has cost about $7,000 a month. Her mom receives $3,200 monthly in retirement income , and Davis covers the rest. The stress has weighed her down; last week, she took what she thought would be a short evening nap. Next thing she knew, it was 7 a.m. the next morning and time to go to work.
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