Stamford Senior AdvisorWhat should a family do in the first months after a dementia diagnosis?
Put legal and financial documents in place while your parent can still sign them (durable power of attorney, health care representative, a will), make the home safer, simplify medications and finances, and line up support for the main caregiver.
Ask the diagnosing doctor for a care plan and referrals. The Area Agency on Aging for your town can explain respite and caregiver support programs: Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging at 203-814-3698 or Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging at 203-757-5449.
When is memory care needed?
Memory care is usually needed when safety at home can no longer be managed: wandering or exit-seeking, nighttime confusion, unsafe cooking or driving, or a caregiver who cannot sleep; in Connecticut that care is a dementia special care unit run by a licensed assisted living services agency, or a nursing home for those who also need skilled nursing.
Connecticut does not publish which communities run dementia special care units, so each community's claim has to be checked against its residency agreement and the staffing plan its agency filed with DPH. See the rules.
Can someone with dementia stay at home in Connecticut?
Yes, often for years, with adult day programs, home care, respite and the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders for those 65 and older who qualify, as long as the home is safe and the caregiver has support.
Adult day health care, at a Connecticut median of $28,340 a year for five days a week, gives structure for the person with dementia and a workday for the caregiver. Ask programs how they handle wandering and late-day agitation.
How do we pay for memory care?
Memory care is paid mostly privately; long-term care insurance and VA Aid and Attendance can help, CHCPE can pay assisted living services (not rent) in approved communities, and HUSKY C pays for nursing home care for those who qualify.
No published memory care median exists in Connecticut; budget above the $8,676 monthly assisted living median and ask every community for a written quote.
At a glance
| Early planning gives you | Waiting gives you | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | Documents signed while your parent can decide | A possible court conservatorship |
| Choice | Time to visit and compare dementia units | Whatever has a bed in a crisis |
| Caregiver | Respite before burnout | A caregiver in crisis |
Sources include the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (19-13-D105 and related sections), the Connecticut General Statutes as summarized by the Office of Legislative Research, DPH, DSS and Aging and Disability Services pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
