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For the nearly one in four older adults dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD),1 family caregivers provide significant physical, emotional, and financial support. The level of support is substantial; each year, family caregivers provide an estimated $470 billion in unpaid help.2 To meet the needs of family caregivers, providers and health plans may benefit from strategies for supporting caregivers through services such as respite care, counseling, and training and education. While many caregivers come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, health plans report challenges providing supports that meet the cultural needs and preferences of family caregivers from diverse backgrounds.3 This Spotlight, showcasing Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, is part of a series highlighting innovative programs supporting diverse family caregivers.
This First Person Story describes a caregiver’s experiences with culturally competent supports at Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, and is a part of a larger series highlighting innovative programs supporting diverse family caregivers. Click here to learn more about how Alzheimer’s Los Angeles supports diverse family caregivers.
1 The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). (January 2018). Data Book: Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Retrieved from https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Data-Book-Beneficiaries-Dually-Eligible-for-Medicare-and-Medicaid-January-2018.pdf.
2 Reinhard, S., Fox-Grage, W. & Friss Feinberg, L. (2016). Family caregivers and managed long-term services and supports. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/ppi/2016-08/AARP1080_FSandMLTSS_REPORT_WEB.pdf.
3 Reinhard, S., et al. (2017). Emerging Innovations in Managing Long-term Services and Supports for Family Caregivers. AARP Public Policy. Retrieved from http://www.longtermscorecard.org/~/media/Microsite/Files/2017/2017%20Scorecard/AARP1202_EI_EmerInnovationLTSS_Oct31v2.pdf.