The cost of long-term care has continued to rise, increasing in some segments at a pace that exceeds previous years, according to a survey released this week by the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

   The 2011 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs found that costs for assisted living facilities and adult day services climbed at higher percentages than previous years. Most glaring, adult day services went up by 4.5 percent, compared to no change last year, to $70 a day; and assisted living rates rose by 5.6 percent, versus 5.2 percent in 2010, to $3,477 monthly or $41,724 annually. 

     National average rates for a private room in a nursing home increased 4.4 percent to $239 daily or $87,235 annually in 2011, marking a smaller rise than the 4.6 percent during the 2009 to 2010 period.

     The bright note was in home care services, where rates for home health aides and homemaker/companion service rates remained unchanged for the second consecutive year, at $21 and $19 per hour, respectively.

     The survey also found that the majority of facilities provide specific care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. Additional fees for this service vary. For example, assisted living facilities (50 percent) charge an average of nearly $14,000 more per year for this population. In contrast, almost all home health care agencies do not charge an additional fee.  

   For the full report, click here.

Declaring that our nation "has no time to waste," the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) last week released specific, hard-hitting recommendations on both care and cure to tackle Alzheimer's disease-and urged swift implementation of a national strategy on this growing public health crisis.

     Entitled "No Time to Waste," the report urges a "bold but practical" approach and calls for formulating solutions within-as well as outside of-current government programs to ultimately "defeat" Alzheimer's disease.

     AFA's recommendations for research, clinical care and long-term care come as national experts are examining what to include in an "integrated national plan" as mandated under the new National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA), and as the incidence of the brain disorder in the United States is expected to explode by mid-century.

     To effect long-lasting change, the report urges wide-scale public awareness campaigns, including messaging to drive earlier detection and to "shift the focus from fear to acceptance of the disease."

     Other calls for action include: a substantial investment in research toward the prevention, treatment, care and cure of Alzheimer's disease; additional dementia training and reimbursement for primary care clinicians; and greater training and support for family caregivers of all demographics across the continuum of care.

     "NAPA is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the conversation about this devastating illness-but we must do it right," said Eric J. Hall, AFA's founding president and CEO and the report's author.

       Hall is a member of the Advisory Council on Research, Care and Services, which was recently formed to advise federal officials on the development of a national strategy.

     The report incorporates AFA's own beliefs and feedback shared with AFA by its 1,600 member organizations, family and professional caregivers, and experts over the past few months.

 

All 992 Kmart Pharmacies will take part in AFA's 9th annual National Memory Screening Day on November 15, providing free, confidential memory screenings and educational materials about brain health to consumers.

   AFA holds the initiative each November during National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month as part of its overall strategy to promote early detection of memory problems and appropriate intervention. Other sites across the nation include senior centers, long-term care facilities, doctor's offices and libraries.

   Kmart will offer memory screenings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as part of its Health and Wellness In-Store Event. For more information on National Memory Screening Day, visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org or for Kmart Pharmacy locations go to www.kmart.com/pharmacy or call 800-866-0086.

News to Use:

-The Lewy Body Dementia Association, Inc., Lilburn, GA, is looking for about 500 caregivers to participate in its online survey that will investigate whether family members experience grief differently if they are caring for individuals with dementia with Lewy Bodies, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease with and without dementia, or frontotemporal degeneration The survey will also explore the well-being and quality of life of individuals diagnosed with these neurodegenerative diseases. To participate, visit www.lbda.org/go/caregiversurvey.

-It is flu season again. With the flu most active starting this month and possibly lasting for more than six months, the best prevention mechanism is to receive a flu vaccine, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information on the types of flu and available vaccines, visit http://www.flu.gov.

-New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently signed the "Missing Adult Alerts" system into law in order to quickly disseminate information regarding missing adults with dementia or another form of cognitive impairment. Similar to the national AMBER Alert program, which activates an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases, the "Missing Adult Alerts" system will utilize posters, a toll-free hot line and partnerships with broadcasters to spread the word. Individuals interested in receiving alerts may sign up at www.nyalert.gov.

• Blood pressure lowering medications may reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease...A particular type of anti-hyperintensive or rather blood-pressure lowering medication--angiotensin II receptor blockers or ARBs--reduced an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 50 percent and vascular dementia by 25 percent, compared to other types of anti-hypertensive medications, according to a recent study. Another type of anti-hypertensive called angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or (ACE-Is) was about half as protective. The survey looked at adults aged 60 and older who either had Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or other related dementia, or were part of a matched control group by age, practice and gender that was free of dementia. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Read More... 
• Dual use of certain medications may cancel out their effects...In a study of adults ages 50 and older who had Alzheimer's disease, researchers found that 37 percent of those taking cholinesterase inhibitors to treat Alzheimer's disease were also simultaneously taking at least one anticholinergic medication, and 11 percent were taking two or more, for illnesses such as gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, urinary incontinence, depression and Parkinson's disease. In a statement, study leader Denise Boudreau, Ph.D., RPh, the study's lead author and an associate scientific investigator at Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, said there is a concern that if someone is taking these opposing drugs, "they will antagonize each other, and neither will work." While risk of death or nursing home placement was not observed in those taking both forms of medications, the researchers concluded that their findings "should raise awareness about the prevalence and potential inappropriateness" of simulataneous use of these drugs. Read More...     

In anticipation of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November, Bert E. Brodsky, AFA's founding chairman, and Eric J. Hall, AFA's founding president and CEO, in addition to AFA staff and supporters, will preside over the NASDAQ closing bell on October 27.

AFA and Senior Helpers are sponsoring a Webinar series this fall for family caregivers and healthcare professionals on "Moving Forward with Alzheimer's and Dementia" with Teepa Snow, a renowned dementia care expert. The series is presented by the American Society on Aging and offers one CEU for healthcare professionals.

 "Understanding the Different Forms of Dementia."

Monday, November 21, 2011

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET)

To register, click here, https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/490043742.

"Dementia and Caregiving: Focusing on the Person While Understanding the Progression"
Monday, December 19, 2011

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET)

To register, click here, https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/440140022.  

GET INVOLVED!

Take Part in AFA's November Events!  

National Commemorative Candle Lighting 2011

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Host a local ceremony and light "candles of care" to remember and honor those affected by this illness, and to educate the public.  

Please sign up at www.candlelighting.org 

National Memory Screening Day 2011

Tuesday, November 15, 2011  

Offer free, confidential memory screenings and distribute educational materials about memory concerns, successful aging and resources.  

Please sign up at www.nationalmemoryscreening.org 

AFA recently announced the formation of a Legacy Society, which offers special recognition to individuals who have included AFA in their wills or estate plans. Information about AFA's new Legacy Society is available at

www.alzfdn.org or by contacting AFA at 866.232.8484 

To obtain more information about AFA, visit us at www.alzfdn.org or call us toll-free at     866-AFA-8484.