There Are Three Types Of Vascular Dementia:
- ;; Subcortical dementia. The most common form of vascular dementia. The smallest blood vessels in the brain become twisted and stiff, restricting blood flow. This is also called small vessel disease.
- ;;Post-stroke dementia. This type occurs after an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
- ;;Single-infarct and multi-infarct dementia. The individual experiences a series of small strokes instead of one severe stroke.
Expedited Processing For Early
Social Security has added early-onset Alzheimer’s disease to its list of Compassionate Allowance conditions, meaning that the agency will fast-track the processing of the disability application so that applicants with Alzheimer’s don’t needlessly have to go through the hassle of a denial and appeal as their symptoms get worse. Most applications that qualify for compassionate allowance treatment are approved within one month.
If you are helping someone apply for Social Security disability benefits, be sure to note on the application, or tell the Social Security field rep, that the applicant qualifies for Compassionate Allowance treatment and that the exact diagnosis is “early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.” Social Security will need to see medical records that include clinical notes documenting the applicant’s progressive dementia and an activities of daily living report filled out by a relative or caregiver. Results from standardized tests, such as the Clinical Dementia Rating scale or the MiniâMental State Examination , are also helpful.
Social Security Disability Insurance
In short, Social Security Disability Insurance is a program that will pay monthly dues to you and your family if you can prove you are insured. If you have paid your social security taxes, been in the workforce long enough, recently, and are currently suffering from one of the medical conditions listed under the compassionate allowances initiative, you may qualify for SSDI.
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Applying For Disability For Alzheimer’s
To help someone apply for disability, you can call 800-772-1213 to set up an appointment to submit an application for SSI or SSDI through your local SSA office. If you’re helping someone to apply for SSDI only, you can do so online at www.ssa.gov. In your application, include how the applicant’s dementia is affecting his or her ability to take care of daily needs such as hygiene, food preparation, grocery shopping, and communication.
If the applicant has physical problems as well, or other mental problems such as depression, include these on the application. Even if a mental impairment isn’t yet severe enough to qualify on its own, sometimes together two or three impairments can qualify for disability.
Alzheimers Disease And Social Security Disability Benefits
- This image courtesy of Pexels
Alzheimers Disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, meaning that it is an irreversible, permanent, and progressively worsening brain disorder. Alzheimers attacks memory and thinking ability, and will eventually stop a patient from completing the most basic of tasks.
Alzheimers Disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is basically a term that means memory loss, a loss in thinking skills and in some situations, a loss in communications skills. This disease affects memory and cognitive abilities and will slowly, over time, prevent a person from being able to conduct daily life in the manner of which they have become accustomed.
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Understanding Residual Functional Capacity
If despite the evidence provided, the SSA determines that you do not meet the criteria for dementia or Alzheimers disease, they may choose to evaluate your residual functional capacity .
So what exactly is RFC?
RFC is the limit to what you can do, despite your psychological or physical limitations. It is measured with the standard of a 40-hour workweek to determine your ability.
Now, based on your physical limitations you may only be able to perform simple, mildly exertive tasks. Due to impairment in cognitive functions, you might not be able to perform at a high skill level. In this case, your physician might recommend;limiting activity to very simple tasks, in line with your ability.
Another aspect that will be evaluated, is your ability to perform in a group or public setting. For those suffering from early-onset Alzheimers or dementia social interaction may be quite limited. Their social interactions may need constant supervision.
In addition to this, fatigue is also recognized as an inhibitor to perform these kinds of activities. If a patient is unable to work due to high levels of fatigue caused due to illness or severe medication, they will also have a lower residual functional capacity.
In short, the lower your ability, the lower your RFC, and the higher your chances of having a successful disability claim.
But keep in mind, the most important aspect of having a successful claim is valid proof and evidence supporting your claim.
Can The Insurance Company Limit Ltd Benefits For Dementia
Many long term disability plans include limitations on benefits for mental or nervous disorders. Sometimes, insurance company representatives try to shoehorn dementia into this category, since there is often a 12 to 24-month limitation on mental disorders.
However, many peoples dementia is due to a physical disease or process, not a purely mental disorder. For example, during Alzheimers disease, the brains neurons, the powerful nerves that help our body communicate with the brain, become damaged and die. In fact, researchers have identified a myriad of cellular changes in dementia patients; brains.
Therefore, do not take an insurance companys denial of benefits at face value. Instead, consult with an experienced attorney who can evaluate your circumstances and claims.
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Ssd Benefits For Alzheimers And Dementia
There are an estimated 5.3 million Americans suffering from Alzheimers disease. When a loved one is suffering from Alzheimers or dementia, one of the last things you want to worry about is whether or not they will qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. Many have few financial options other than the Social Security and SSI disability program and its medical insurance benefits. At Patrick Kelly Law, our social security benefits lawyer near Albany is here to help make obtaining these benefits as easy and as stress-free as possible.;
Alzheimers Disease Symptoms And Complications
The symptoms of Alzheimers will change based on whether or not the patient has early onset Alzheimers, or if they are in later stages of the disease. Early dementia symptoms will attack mental function in a number of ways, such as abstract thinking, decision making, emotional behavior, forgetfulness, judgment, language, memory, perception or personality. Each person will be affected differently and at different speeds and severity.
Alzheimers will worsen over time. As such, the complications become more serious and dangerous as the disease progresses. In the early stages, people will begin to have difficulty with basic tasks, including balancing finances, playing games, remembering recent activities, losing interest in favorite activities, misplacing items and learning new information or tasks. Given time, these symptoms and complications will become worse and your ability to work will greatly diminish as the disease advances.
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Alternative Ways To Qualify Outside The Blue Book
If your condition does not match the requirements listed in the Blue Book, you can still be eligible for disability benefits if Social Security deems aspects of your condition to be equal to a disability listing.
Additionally, if you do not meet the criteria listed in the Blue Book, you can still qualify if you can prove that your illness diminishes your ability to work.
If your condition is not yet in the Blue Book, you can still qualify if your illness is medically determinable, and that it either reduces your RFC or qualifies you for a medical-vocational allowance.
Disability Benefits For Dementia
Social Security Disability Lawyers: Riverside, Orange;& San Bernardino Counties
Disability Benefits for Dementia
There are several forms of dementia, but Alzheimer’s Disease is the best known. Alzheimer’s Disease;is named after a German physician, Alois Alzheimer, who first described this condition in 1906. His original patient was a woman in her 40’s, with memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior.
The National Institutes of Health has described the many molecular and cellular changes that take place in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease. These changes can be observed microsopically in brain tissue of affected individuals at post-mortem.
Amyloid Plaques
In Alzheimer’s disease, there is an abnormal accumulation of beta-amyloid protein in the brain that comes in several different molecular forms. It collects between neurons and is formed from the breakdown of a larger protein, called amyloid precursor protein. One form, beta-amyloid 42, is thought to be especially toxic. In the Alzheimer’s brain, abnormal levels of this naturally occurring protein clump together to form plaques that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function.
Neurofibrillary Tangles
Chronic Inflammation
Vascular Contributions to Alzheimer’s Disease
Loss of Neuronal Connections and Cell Death
Genetic Studies
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How Fast Your Ssd Application For Alzheimers Is Approved Depends On:
- How quickly the SSA obtains medical evidence from your doctors or other medical source;
- Whether the SSA decides a medical examination is necessary to support the claim; and
- If your SSDI claim is randomly selected for quality assurance review of the decision.
Our experienced attorneys have rapidly and effectively obtained Social Security Disability approval for hundreds of clients with cognitive impairment including early-onset Alzheimers, mixed-dementia and Primary Progressive Aphasia. We focus on your SSD Application, so you and your family can focus on your pressing medical issues.
If you or a family member is suffering from Alzheimers disease or other dementia, contact our office. We can help.
Contact Our Experienced Firm
If you or someone you know is looking to receive long term disability benefits and needs the help of an experienced attorney, contact Walker & Hern today.
Our firm has significant experience helping people just like you retain or defend their Long Term Disability Benefits. Contact Walker & Hern for a free consultation.
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Eligibility Criteria For Disability Tax Credit For Dementia
To be eligible for this tax credit program, a patient with dementia would qualify under the disability section entitled mental functions. You must have difficulties performing daily activities and have a medical doctor or a qualified practitioner sign this form. Mental functions required for everyday life include adaptive functioning, memory, problem solving, goal setting, and judgment.
For memory, memory loss can impair ones ability when remembering simple instructions, personal information , and materials of importance. ;For a patient to qualify for memory loss, they must experience it either all or most of the time . Patients must be considered as , despite medication or therapy.
Alzheimers Disease And Compassionate Allowance
Early-onset Alzheimers Disease is on the SSAs list of Compassionate Allowances which means it is one of the most serious conditions a claimant can have. From the SSAs website:
Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Securitys standards for disability benefits. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children. The CAL initiative helps us reduce waiting time to reach a disability determination for individuals with the most serious disabilities.
In many cases, being diagnosed with a condition on the Compassionate Allowances list allows for faster processing and a much greater likelihood of being approved. An approval is not guaranteed, however approval does depend on the facts of each individual case, so we recommend speaking with a qualified representative or disability advocate to discuss your particular situation.
If you have been diagnosed with Alzheimers, and have had to leave work before reaching full retirement age, you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
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Our Social Security Disability Attorneys Can Help
Our experienced Los Angeles area Social Security attorneys are here to help you collect your maximum Social Security Disability for Alzheimers or Dementia as quickly as possible. If you or a loved one is suffering with Alzheimers, dementia or;any serious medical condition, our experienced lawyers would be happy to discuss your unique situation with you, to ensure that you receive the maximum Social Security Disability benefits for which you may qualify.
Does Dementia Qualify For Long Term Disability
If you or a loved one have a dementia diagnosis, you may feel overwhelmed. If youre trying to plan your future, you may be considering long term disability insurance and way to protect yourself and your loved ones. While a dementia diagnosis may qualify you for LTD benefits, its not always a simple process.
Here, the experienced disability insurance lawyer, Jonathan M.;Feigenbaum, Esquire, explains the essentials of a dementia disability claim and explains whether dementia qualifies you for disability insurance benefits.
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If You Have Some Form Of Dementia It Is Likely You Have Poor Memory And Attention Skills And Are Unable To Perform Any Type Of Work
The Social Security Administration recognizes dementia as an impairment in two different sections of its Blue Book. Section 12. Mental Disorders evaluates dementia of the Alzheimer type, vascular dementia, and dementia due to a metabolic disease. Section 11. Neurological Disorders evaluates cases of early onset Alzheimers disease .
Disability Tax Credit For Alzheimers And Other Forms Of Assistance
At this point there is no cure for Alzheimers disease, but there are treatments that can help to slow or reduce the progression of symptoms. There are also programs that can help inform, educate, and support patients and families.
- The Alzheimer Society of Canada Both patients and families can seek help from support organizations. Alzheimers support organizations can help patients and families by providing information, helping to locate local services, and by offering support group services.
- Canadian Disability Tax Credit Alzheimers patients and caregivers may qualify for Canadian disability tax credit. This disability tax credit can help cover extra expenses and ensure that these patients are able to live a full life and participate in society.
- Physicians and Nursing Care Personal physicians can determine a treatment plan as a well as refer patients to care facilities. Physicians can also be an excellent resource for the latest Alzheimers research.
- Nursing Home and Hospice Care At some point, the family may need to consider getting outside help from a nursing home or hospice. The facilities can offer care and counseling if needed.
If a loved one is showing signs of Alzheimers disease, be certain to see a physician or neurological doctor as soon as possible. There are organizations that can help support you and you may even qualify for a disability tax credit.
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Impairments Of Alzheimers And Dementia
Many of those who have either Alzheimers, dementia, or a combination of the two, are over age 65. Earlier diagnosis means this fatal disease now touches a significant number of younger people. Many symptoms of these diseases affect the part of the brain that controls memory, reasoning, judgment, and behavior. This leaves those suffering with little capacity to function beyond the basic task of everyday life. Those who have more serious side effects or have had Alzheimers or dementia for longer may be completely dependent on a caretaker for even the most basic of tasks such as eating and going to the bathroom.;
I Support Someone Who Is Living With Dementia How Do I Qualify For The Canada Caregiver Credit
The most important piece of the puzzle is to obtain a Disability Tax Certificate.
The Disability Tax Certificate should be obtainable from one of the doctors involved with your parent, explains Hayter, The best one is the family doctor but some family doctors are reluctant to sign the DTC so the caregiver may have to go to a specialist for help.
As of March 22, 2017, Nurse practitioners can also certify the Disability Tax Certificate.
Seniors who are living with dementia and who reside with their adult children will continue to qualify for the new Canada Caregiver Credit, as long as they obtain a Disability Tax Certificate.
If the senior does not qualify for the credit, then there is no credit available to the supporting person.
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Everyone At One Time Or Another Forgets The Name Of A Person A Place Or An Event But People With Alzheimers Disease Will Exhibit More Pronounced Symptoms Such As:
- ;;Forgetting conversations or appointments;
- ;;Wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather;
- ;;Forgetting how to dress or bath;
- ;;Wandering.
Contact a Social Security disability attorney at 512-454-4000 for a free consultation and see if you can get disability benefits while suffering from Alzheimers Disease. If you have been denied disability dont give up!
Dementia Is A Progressive Syndrome Where The Ability To Process Thought Deteriorates
It affects memory, comprehension, orientation, calculation, learning capacity, communication and judgment and is usually accompanied by changes in behavior and emotions. Symptoms differ from person to person depending on the severity of the disease and an individuals personality before they developed the illness. Dementia can be divided in three stages: early stage, middle stage and late stage.
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What Medical Conditions Qualify For Disability Benefits
Any medical condition can qualify for disability benefits. Generally speaking, most disability benefits programs in Canada do not give benefits based on a medical diagnosis. Rather, they provide benefits based on the level of disability caused by the medical condition. So the focus will always be on the level of disability caused by your medical condition, rather than only the name of your medical condition or diagnosis. To qualify for benefits, you must show that the level of disability from your medical condition meets the eligibility criteria of the disability benefits plan in question.
Following is a list of common medical conditions that qualify for disability benefits. For each of these conditions we discuss the unique challenges you will face.