The costs of family contributions to the care of persons with dementia

Abstract

This study focuses on the costs of dementia care incurred by families. Cost components operationalized include: costs of unpaid caregiver labor services, paid and unpaid family labor, paid and unpaid services of nonfamily persons, and cash outlays for equipment and services. Among 182 families of dementia patients, average care costs for a 3-month period amount to $4,564. Cash expenditures average only 29% of total care costs, with unpaid labor accounting for 71% of the family care costs. Total care costs rise by $1,158 for each additional dependency in an activity of daily living (ADL), while reliance on paid services is 5% higher for each additional $10,000 household income and drops by 25% if the patient lives in the caregiver's household.