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The upcoming opening of a new day care center for patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease is reminiscent of the high costs associated with caring for someone with dementia and the scarcity of high quality services.
The Alice's clubhouse, which will open this fall in Mount Pleasant, will be aimed at adults with Alzheimer's. It's private, pay only. Its organizers say it will be the first of its kind in the state, offering medical attention, tailor-made activities and high quality food in one and the same service.
Bright ideas are welcome as the number of patients increases and the population ages.
But the entry of Alice's Clubhouse into the market for care services for people with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia could be a sign of new solutions to take care of people with memory problems.
The disease will cost the country $ 277 billion this year and could exceed $ 1 trillion by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. And in South Carolina, the demand for services will be particularly strong: the state had the second highest rate of Alzheimer's deaths in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Taylor Wilson, director of communications for the state's Alzheimer's Association chapter, few options are available for people with mild-to-moderate dementia.
And what happens there is often prohibitively expensive, Wilson said.
"This disease tends to bring people back into poverty," she said. "The costs are so extreme."
The median cost of a home health aide is $ 22 at the hour, according to the Alzheimer's Association. For adult daycares, the median price is $ 70 per day. Nursing homes and assisted living will cost even more. The costs to care for people with dementia or cognitive decline are only increasing.
South Carolina is also one of the least equipped states to deal with this growing problem, researchers at Rand Corp. said. Last year.
South Carolina has a higher death rate from Alzheimer's disease than any other state, according to a report
The Alice & # 39; s Clubhouse team said it would act as the first day care center of this type in the state.
BC's Department of Health and Environmental Control regulates Alzheimer's care facilities. Most are retirement homes or assisted living groups. According to DHEC, there are at least half a dozen adult child care sites in Charleston and neighboring counties.
The centers have different payment models and missions. Some focus more on adults with intellectual disabilities, such as autism or Down syndrome.
Many of the other day care services can not take patients all day long, said Elizabeth Ford, Program Manager for the Resource Coordination Center of the South African Alzheimer's Disease Development Office. .
But care for people with Alzheimer's in general is expensive, she said. Alice's Clubhouse is not the only provider not to accept government payments. Home health agencies do not take health insurance, Ford said.
"We really can not afford it," she said. "Most people can not afford long-term, full-time help."
Diane Sancho, a 30-year-old service veteran and executive director of Alice & # 39; s Clubhouse, believes her daycare will be different by providing tailored care for each client and assessing each customer upon arrival. According to her, the Alice & # 39; s Clubhouse will present art therapy, horticulture, bakery, music, word games and guest speakers, depending on the member's interest . The center will also offer a "white linen" lunch.
David AvRutick, president of the Alice & # 39; s Clubhouse, declined to say how much the daycare would cost. As a private pay service, it will not accept Medicare or Medicaid.
"What you get by breaking down every hour is far more profitable than any other option," he said.
AvRutick, whose mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, said that he would begin to consider expanding Alice's clubhouse into new premises as soon as possible.
Wilson said the concept – giving people with Alzheimer's disease cognitive and company stimulation – is gaining acceptance.
"Research is beginning to prove that it makes a difference," she said.
The Alzheimer's Association also gives the state the money to disperse to seek respite care, or emergency services for the patient's usual guardian. These funds, about $ 900,000 a year, are distributed by the state's regional offices on aging. The amount that each person receives is decided according to his needs.
reach Mary Katherine Wildeman 843-937-5594. Follow her on Twitter @mkwildeman.
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