Words from an advocate to those who fund healthcare programs in Florida:
There are more than a half-million Alzheimer’s patients in Florida, and that number will grow over the next decade.
We understand these are incredibly tough economic times in Florida’s Capitol, and lawmakers are making difficult choices. We have already lost the Medicaid Alzheimer’s Program (MAP) Waiver.
We cannot afford to lose the base funding that allows Alzheimer’s Community Care to provide necessary services to Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
For one patient in a semi-private room at a nursing home, the cost to taxpayers averages about $65,000 per year. Finding ways to keep patients with family as long as possible is critical; today’s staggering costs pale in comparison to the expense we could face in the years to come. The specialized services offered to Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers save Florida hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.
Please don’t turn your back on Florida’s most vulnerable patients-they are the true heroes of our cause. They should not be left without services-not ever.
Do not cut or eliminate the funding for Alzheimer’s Community Care through the Alzheimer’s project funding. Help us preserve the dignity of patients and caregivers after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Help us maintain their well-being, their safety, and their access to care by funding these critical services. Help us assist caregivers in caring for their loved ones at home for as long as possible, and delay or avoid nursing home placement-the final and most expensive option.
Alzheimer's Community Care 