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Robert was in his mid-60s when he began to show symptoms of dementia. As a psychiatrist running his own practice, this was devastating for him and his family. At first the symptoms were hardly noticeable, but after several years he stopped talking, and clung to his wife, Laura, who became his fulltime caretaker.
As Robert’s dementia worsened, Laura struggled to care for him. One day, Robert fell and Laura couldn’t get him up. His neurologist insisted he go to a nursing facility. But at $300 a day, staying in a facility was not financially possible for Robert and Laura, even with Robert’s Medicare coverage.
Luckily, Robert was eligible for long-term care through Medicaid, which paid for his nursing home care.
Robert spent the last 11 months of his life in a high-quality facility, where nurses cared for him around the clock. Laura visited him every day, took him for walks, read to him, and played him the classical music that he loved. In 2012, at age 73, Robert passed away peacefully.
Laura is extremely grateful for the care Robert received at the end of his life: “I don’t know how anyone who doesn’t have insurance survives,” she said. Without Medicaid, Robert would have been unable to get the care he needed to live out the rest of his life in dignity and peace.
