Support Alzheimer’s Caregivers by Donating this Holiday Season

Support Alzheimer’s Caregivers by Donating

The holidays are almost here. Spending time with loved ones during this wonderful time of year is just delightful. However, it may be a challenging time of year for the family caregivers, especially for the primary caregiver.

Many caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients find the holidays to be stressful and hard. The challenges of the present contrast with the joyful recollections of the past, and further demands on time and energy might feel overwhelming.

Besides emotional strain, they may also experience financial strain, which adds to the holiday stress. Financial stress can exacerbate during the holiday season, especially when there is pressure to purchase gifts, prepare for a celebration, or engage in costly activities.

We can help relieve some of their burden, but how exactly can we accomplish that? Before getting to the answer, we will look at some significant statistics about Alzheimer’s caregivers.

Alzheimer’s Caregivers & Financial Burden: Facts and Figures

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that worsens with time to the point that the patient becomes completely dependent on the caregiver for even basic everyday activities. As the symptoms worsen, caregivers may face increased levels of emotional stress and depression, new or worsening health issues, and diminished income and finances as a result of job disruptions and the cost of providing care and other services for both the dementia patient and themselves. Caregivers of individuals with dementia report more significant emotional, financial, and physical challenges than caregivers of persons without dementia.

The following statistics highlight the financial stress that the caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients experience [1].

  • In the United States, family, friends, and other unpaid caregivers provide 83% of the assistance to older persons.
  • Almost half of all caregivers (48%) who assist older persons do so for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
  • Over 11 million Americans offer unpaid care to people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.
  • Unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 18 billion hours of care worth $339.5 billion in 2022.
  • About 25% of caregivers for dementia patients are “sandwich generation” caregivers, which means they look after at least one kid in addition to an aged parent.
  • The household income of 41% of caregivers is $50,000 or less.
  • Families bear 70% of the lifetime cost of caring for a person with dementia, either via unpaid care or through out-of-pocket health and long-term care expenditures.

How can we help caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients?

Alzheimer’s has a severe impact on caregivers. Two times as many caregivers of those with dementia report significant emotional, financial, and physical challenges as caregivers of individuals without dementia.

Holidays are a time to rejoice, but caregivers often feel more emotional and financial pressure during these days. The least we can do is to support them in any way we can! If you know someone who is taking care of their aging parents, try to support them by offering to help them with holiday celebrations and household chores and assist with some caregiving tasks if you can so that the caregiver can have a respite. You can also provide them with monetary support.

Another way to help caregivers is by donating to non-profit organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Research Association, which is committed to helping caregivers via helpful resources and grants. Your donations will make the caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients feel a bit lighter by relieving some of their financial burden.

Alzheimer’s Research Association: What do we do?

The Alzheimer’s Research Association is a non-profit organization devoted to delivering the most recent advances in innovation and technology to caregivers and their families coping with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Our mission is to ease the caregiver’s burden by offering grants, educational resources, and support services.

Our goal is to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease by offering a wealth of information, such as the latest research and news, to assist family caregivers whose loved ones are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. As part of our mission, we provide grants from donations to caregivers to assist them in overcoming the financial, emotional, and physical challenges that come with being a caregiver.

At the Alzheimer’s Research Association, we are or have been Alzheimer’s patient caregivers in the past. We want to offer a resource where you can get the answers to your most pressing issues about Alzheimer’s care based on our research and experiences.

Donate to Alzheimer’s Research Association: Where do your donations go?

Many caregivers are unable to enjoy the holidays due to emotional and financial pressure. You can help them ease some of their worries associated with this season by donating to us. Your contribution will support our ongoing initiatives to assist those who care for persons with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

So, where will your donations go? Your donations will be used as caregiver grants or for caregiver respite care programs. The Alzheimer’s Research Association takes pride in supporting caregivers, and we will continue to work tirelessly to achieve our goal! Our hard work pays off every time we know we are a source of relief for someone!

“Thank you so much for the grant gift. It will be used for the extra cost of groceries during the holiday season as well as warm clothing for my mom. Thank you! Thank you!”
Judy, A Caregiver Grant Recipient

This Christmas, your donations may help a caregiver cover extra costs of groceries, buy gifts, purchase warm clothes or accessories for the loved one they care for, or fulfill any critical necessity. Donations – no matter how small – can make a big difference in someone’s life!

Support the caregivers by donating before Christmas vacation: https://www.alzra.org/donate-now/

Dear caregivers, you can apply for caregiver grants here: https://www.alzra.org/grant-applications/.

References

  1. 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimer’s Association. https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf. Alzheimer’s Dementia. 2023 Apr;19(4):1598-1695.
  2. How caregivers and older adults can cope with holiday stress. Good Samaritan Society. https://www.good-sam.com/resources/how-caregivers-and-older-adults-can-cope-with-holiday-stress. Posted Online: 22nd November, 2023. Accessed: 7th December, 2023.
  3. Alzheimer’s Research Association. https://www.alzra.org/. Accessed: 7th December, 2023.
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