In-Home Dementia and Alzheimer's Care in Wilmington Island, GA

Wilmington Island has about 412 residents aged 85 or older among 3,249 aged 65 or older. The risk of Alzheimer’s rises steeply with age, and the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that about a third of people 85 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia.

35% of residents 65 and older report a disability (36% in Chatham County). The Census counts cognitive difficulty as one kind, alongside hearing, vision, walking, self-care and living independently.

18% of older Wilmington Island residents in households live alone. For someone with memory loss who lives alone, a few hours of daily check-ins are often the first step.

At the Georgia median aide wage of $14.07 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,219 a month in wages, which is 20% of the $6,084 monthly median income of Wilmington Island households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Georgia's state rate is lower than the federal one, so employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act pay at least the federal $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.