Giving Compass' Take:

•  Local organizations are utilizing innovative program interventions in the place of affordable healthcare to address the growing rate of Alzheimer's prevalent in rural communities. 

• How can donors support organizations that are helping people with Alzheimer's? 

• Read about how fake towns can help individuals with Alzheimer's lead happier lives. 

An estimated total of 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. No state has gone unscathed in this epidemic, and each is grappling to address care and interventions. West Virginia is the second-oldest state in the country, and 17.8 percent (or 36,000 people) of those over 65 there are living with Alzheimer’s disease.

For those in rural areas (where there are rising numbers of older residents) diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, they often suffer from other chronic diseases, and their ability to carry out and participate in daily living activities requires assistance. In North Dakota, where a third of the population lives in rural areas, research has found that caregiver intervention programs hold the key to cost savings, with an estimated savings of $12 million per year.

A compelling need has been explained, but rural healthcare isn’t sitting back waiting for things to change in policy; instead they have been creating bold innovative solutions that are showing positive results and can be duplicated:

  • Project C.A.R.E. (Caregiver Alternatives to Running Empty)
  • Rural West Virginia has developed a series of invaluable programs such as The Savvy Caregiver Program and the  Lighthouse Program and Family Alzheimer’s In-Home Respite (FAIR)
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs)
  • The Medicaid Aged and Disabled Waiver (ADW) Program and the Legislative Initiative for the Elderly (LIFE) Program
  • SD eResidential Facilities Healthcare Services Access Project

Read the full impact about Alzheimer's impact on rural health care by Janelle Ali-Dinar at RAC Monitor.