Five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease -- the sixth leading cause of death in this country. There are many caregivers who provide unpaid care for their relatives with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementias -- but it’s not an easy role to fill.
This hour, we explore caregiving and how it can impact a person’s physical and emotional health -- and their finances.
We talk with a Connecticut Health I-Team reporter who looked at the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in our state and how some caregivers are left paying for treatments and services not covered by Medicare.
We also want to know who supports the caregiver? We ask a legislator how the state assists the elderly and the families who care for them. Plus, we’ll check in with a cognitive neuroscientist about how caregivers can continue to care for their loved ones and avoid negative impacts on their own personal health.
GUESTS:
- Cara Rosner - Connecticut Health I-Team Reporter
- Julianne Ramia - Executive Director of Arden Courts Memory Care Community and leader of Alzheimer's support group
- Kathryne Freda - Gerontologist, Eldercare Consultant, and Owner of Sage Solutions LLC.
- Joseph Serra - State Representative and Co-Chair of the Aging Committee
- Whitney Wharton - Cognitive Neuroscientist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Emory University
ADDITIONAL LINKS FOR CAREGIVERS:
- AARP Connecticut Caregiver Resource Guide
- "What the Heck is a Pooled Trust?"
- Connecticut Community Care, Inc.
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Lydia Brown, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.
