Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Caring for a loved one living with dementia often takes a significant financial toll on families.
In 2024, more than 369,000 Alzheimer’s caregivers in Tennessee provided 499 million hours of unpaid care, valued at nearly $7.8 billion.
As a former family caregiver for my late grandmother Emma Dell, I understand the personal and financial impact of this disease. After my grandfather passed away, it became evident to our family that he had been “covering” for my grandmother, and essentially hiding from us just how much dementia was impacting her daily life.
Each of my family members took turns staying with my grandmother for a while in her home, but it became evident that she needed more care than what they could give.
It was then that my family made the difficult decision to move my grandmother into an assisted-living facility. Even 25 years ago when this happened, the cost of this care was tremendous. Additionally, in the late ’90s and early 2000s, there wasn’t specialized Alzheimer’s care available, so my grandmother was cared for like any other aging senior in a nursing home.
Staff members often did not understand why she acted the way she did. She wasn’t being stubborn, she truly did not understand who they were, what they wanted from her, or where she was, because she had Alzheimer’s.
Today, while we have come a long way in Alzheimer’s care and support, dementia caregivers bear, on average, $12,388 in out-of-pocket costs on behalf of the person living with dementia. Of the total lifetime cost of caring for someone with dementia, 70% is borne by families — either through out-of- pocket health and long-term care expenses or from the value of unpaid care. In addition, 41% of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.
These costs continue to rise. That’s why I’m reaching out to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, as I believe he can play an important role in standing up for dementia caregivers in Tennessee and across the nation.
I’m asking that Congressman Fleischmann co-sponsor the bipartisan Credit for Caring Act (H.R. 2036 / S. 925), which will create a new, non-refundable federal tax credit of up to $5,000 for eligible family caregivers. This legislation would offset the cost of some caregiving expenses such as a home care aide, adult day services, home modifications, respite care or other support that helps them and their loved ones.
Legislation like this would have been a huge help for my family. Having extra funds to help cover the cost of in-home care could have extended the time we had with my grandmother, and made the caregiving process less stressful.
Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in encouraging Congressman Fleischmann to support the bipartisan Credit for Caring Act. You can help make an impact in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease, by calling his office at 202-225-3271. Together, our voices can make a difference.
For more information about this legislation and to learn more about this disease and how you can get involved in the cause, visit alz.org.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Williams
TN-03 constituent/
Alzheimer’s advocate
Clinton, TN 37716
