Where do the majority of costs come from when caring for people with dementia? If it isn treatment, what is it?
The majority of costs incurred for dementia are a combination of caregiving costs both within and outside of the formal care delivery system. These costs are incurred when the individual with dementia is living at home and when he/she is living in a long term care setting. When the individual with dementia is living at home, costs include transportation, assistance with activities of daily living, supervision, home care, respite care, medications, physician services, hospital services, over-the-counter medications, etc. For an individual with dementia residing in a long term care setting costs include the costs of staff and administration in the long-term care home, costs of rehabilitation, medications, social activities, physicians, supervision, and lower productivity of informal caregivers.
