DEMENTIA FAQs

No. Medicare pays for acute and rehab care. Medicare does not pay for “long term” care.

Dementia care is paid privately or with long term care insurance. Dementia Care may be covered by Kansas Medicaid under the Home and Community Based Services waiver. Please call the office to discuss requirements.

A memory care community costs $6,000-8,000 a month, depending on the level of care. Aide to resident ratios are typically 5-15 residents to 1 aide. Assisted Living may be able to take the patient but the resident cannot be a flight risk—cost is normally $4,000-6,000/month. In-home private care, which is full 1:1 attendant care, will depend on the number of hours of care needed per day and week. For the cost of memory care, families can receive 300 hours or more a month. Patients stay in their home, where they are most familiar.

Dementia is NOT just memory loss. It impacts the entire brain. As a very complex brain function, memory is often affected. But dementia impacts how someone processes information, controls emotions, thinking, reactions, and responses.

Dementia demands specialized care.

Benefits of Home uses an ability-based approach is based on Positive Approach to Care®. We provide care for the dementia client “where they are” with their disease using a specialized care plan and approach v. a clinical-based (“what can’t they do”, what “stage” are they in) model. We help family members “shift focus” and help them to understand how the disease is impacting their loved one.

We employ several specialized dementia care resources:

• Dementia Resource Guide (recommend you start here)
• Dementia FAQs (you’re reading it!)
• Family Dementia Training—on the phone, zoom or in person—we help you understand the disease and discuss your situation
• Trained, compassionate and experienced caregivers and staff

Memory care is licensed as a “locked unit” and all entrances are key-coded for security. Further, given all residents have some level of dementia, the communities are very focused on dementia care. Assisted Living communities are not locked down and typically have a wide variety of care levels and resident physical and cognitive needs.