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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Alzheimer's / May 2008Advice, please
Hi, I am Brenda from Tx and have been a lurker here for awhile. Hubby was diagnosed with AD in 2001. He is now in a locked facility which with the cost of his meds runs about $6000 a month. I had to sell our house and am living rent free in a house of one of my relatives. We still have some money saved so he doesnt qualify for Medicaid. Not only is this disease devestating for him, its killing me to see him dying in increments and draining every penny we had saved for our retirement. Sometimes I think he is the lucky one. He is being taken care of and is oblivious to the fact that we have lost everything we saved a lifetime for. I am going to his doc Monday and try to see if there are some of his meds we can stop. I am tempted to tell him to stop the Aricept and Namenda. These 2 cost around $400 a month. He has to have Seroquel and the Depakote and they cost $300. Add $300 more a month for cardiac drugs. Is there anyone who has been in my situation? I need some advice. Thanks, Brenda On Apr 26, 6:21 am, mak...@webtv.net wrote: > Hi, I am Brenda from Tx and have been a lurker here for awhile. Hubby > was diagnosed with AD in 2001. He is now in a locked facility which [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > more a month for cardiac drugs. Is there anyone who has been in my > situation? I need some advice. Thanks, Brenda Brenda: I'm sorry to hear about what's happening to your husband, and as a result, to you. There are a number of things you could try. 1) I'd consult with an eldercare attorney 2) I'd consult with a social worker 3) I'd contact the manufacturers of the pharmaceuticals he uses - some of them have programs for people who afford thier medications - and you don't necessarily have to be poverty level I thank God every day I didn't have to go through what you're going through when my Mother became ill, and my heart absolutely goes out ot you. There's got to be some type of protection for a person in your predicament. Others here may have better information, but until they come up with it, I'd strongly suggest you see an attorney specializing in eldercare. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com In article <07d75422-e42e-4df6-be3f-df894ef9198f@z72g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, <snip> > Others here may have better information, but until they > come up with it, I'd strongly suggest you see an attorney specializing > in eldercare. Seconded. That is absolutely the first place to start, since your troubles seem to be as much legal (the fact that caring for your husband is eating up your savings, too) as medical. Baird Re: Advice, please Group: alt.support.alzheimers Date: Sat, Apr 26, 2008, 7:38am From: chuck_whealton@yahoo.com (Chuck Whealton) On Apr 26, 6:21 am, mak...@webtv.net wrote: Hi, I am Brenda from Tx and have been a lurker here for awhile. Hubby was diagnosed with AD in 2001. He is now in a locked facility which with the cost of his meds runs about $6000 a month. I had to sell our house and am living rent free in a house of one of my relatives. We still have some money saved so he doesnt qualify for Medicaid. Not only is this disease devestating for him, its killing me to see him dying in increments and draining every penny we had saved for our retirement. Sometimes I think he is the lucky one. He is being taken care of and is oblivious to the fact that we have lost everything we saved a lifetime for. I am going to his doc Monday and try to see if there are some of his meds we can stop. I am tempted to tell him to stop the Aricept and Namenda. These 2 cost around $400 a month. He has to have Seroquel and the Depakote and they cost $300. Add $300 more a month for cardiac drugs. Is there anyone who has been in my situation? I need some advice. Thanks, Brenda Brenda: I'm sorry to hear about what's happening to your husband, and as a result, to you. There are a number of things you could try. 1) I'd consult with an eldercare attorney 2) I'd consult with a social worker 3) I'd contact the manufacturers of the pharmaceuticals he uses - some of them have programs for people who afford thier medications - and you don't necessarily have to be poverty level I thank God every day I didn't have to go through what you're going through when my Mother became ill, and my heart absolutely goes out ot you. There's got to be some type of protection for a person in your predicament. Others here may have better information, but until they come up with it, I'd strongly suggest you see an attorney specializing in eldercare. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com ========================================== Charles: Good advice, however, when one can barely pay for the medicine, or enough money to eat, how can someone in these circumstances pay for an attorney? They don't work for free but usually charge over $200 an hour. There are attorneys that work pro bono but difficult to find. Eddyjean > Charles: > Good advice, however, when one can barely pay for the medicine, or > enough money to eat, how can someone in these circumstances pay for an > attorney? They don't work for free but usually charge over $200 an > hour. There are attorneys that work pro bono but difficult to find. > Eddyjean No question, this is a legitimate point. Attorneys are very expensive. Is there another route you would suggest? I think Brenda would be very wise to consult somebody who knows the legal ins and outs of eldercare law and that's usually an attorney. Unfortunately, I don't think she's got much of a choice. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com On Apr 26, 6:21 am, mak...@webtv.net wrote: > Hi, I am Brenda from Tx and have been a lurker here for awhile. Hubby > was diagnosed with AD in 2001. He is now in a locked facility which [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > more a month for cardiac drugs. Is there anyone who has been in my > situation? I need some advice. Thanks, Brenda Brenda: I'm sorry to hear about what's happening to your husband, and as a result, to you. There are a number of things you could try. 1) I'd consult with an eldercare attorney 2) I'd consult with a social worker 3) I'd contact the manufacturers of the pharmaceuticals he uses - some of them have programs for people who cannot afford thier medications - and you don't necessarily have to be at poverty level I thank God every day I didn't have to go through what you're going through when my Mother became ill, and my heart absolutely goes out ot you. There's got to be some type of protection for a person in your predicament. Others here may have better information, but until they come up with it, I'd strongly suggest you see an attorney specializing in eldercare. Note: I reposted this due to correcting an error. Sorry if you see it twice. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com > Hi, I am Brenda from Tx and have been a lurker here for awhile. Hubby > was diagnosed with AD in 2001. He is now in a locked facility which [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > more a month for cardiac drugs. Is there anyone who has been in my > situation? I need some advice. Thanks, Brenda Brenda, Hi, and I am so sorry you are going through this. When I read the above all I could think of is how fortunate we were to get such a good elder law attorney who helped us to protect at least SOME assets. You would do VERY well to go to an elder law specialist attorney, and explain that you are being bankrupted by this situation. You are entitled to keep a certain portion of the jointly held assets and you don't have to use everything you have to pay for his care and meds. Please get some good legal advice on this, Brenda. You won't regret it. You need to take care of yourself too!  SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn > Hi, I am Brenda from Tx and have been a lurker here for awhile. Hubby > was diagnosed with AD in 2001. He is now in a locked facility which [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > more a month for cardiac drugs. Is there anyone who has been in my > situation? I need some advice. Thanks, Brenda Hi Brenda, sorry to hear of your current situation. It truly sucks. Here are some drug patient assistance contact points where you can try to get his meds for free or at reduced rates. aricept http://www.rxassist.org/pap-info/company_detail.cfm?CmpId=130 namenda http://www.forestpharm.com/pap/ seroquel http://www.nami.org/content/contentgroups/helpline1/prescription_drug_patient_as sistance_programs.htm depakote Abbott Labs 800-222-6885 List his cardiac drugs and I'll find the appropriate numbers for these companies also. good luck and all the best, AW Advice, please Group: alt.support.alzheimers Date: Sat, Apr 26, 2008, 5:21am (PDT+2) From: maketl@webtv.net Hi, I am Brenda from Tx and have been a lurker here for awhile. Hubby was diagnosed with AD in 2001. He is now in a locked facility which with the cost of his meds runs about $6000 a month. I had to sell our house and am living rent free in a house of one of my relatives. We still have some money saved so he doesnt qualify for Medicaid. Not only is this disease devestating for him, its killing me to see him dying in increments and draining every penny we had saved for our retirement. Sometimes I think he is the lucky one. He is being taken care of and is oblivious to the fact that we have lost everything we saved a lifetime for. I am going to his doc Monday and try to see if there are some of his meds we can stop. I am tempted to tell him to stop the Aricept and Namenda. These 2 cost around $400 a month. He has to have Seroquel and the Depakote and they cost $300. Add $300 more a month for cardiac drugs. Is there anyone who has been in my situation? I need some advice. Thanks, Brenda ========================================== Hi Brenda Since you live in Texas, are you close enough to the Mexican border so you can buy your husband's medications there? Eddyjean > Hi Brenda > Since you live in Texas, are you close enough to the Mexican border so > you can buy your husband's medications there? > Eddyjean EddyJean: While I don't blame a person one single bit for doing what they can to get their medication for less, or free, if at all possible, you have to be very careful going into Mexico for your pharmaceuticals. Yes, I have read about some success stories with people going in busloads to Mexico and getting their medications successfully - ALL THE MORE POWER TO THEM. However, when I went to Nogales Mexico recently - not for pharmaceuticals - I had pharmacists sticking their heads out of stores asking me if I needed any pharmaceuticals. Had I been looking for pharmaceuticals (which, thankfully I wasn't), do you think I would have felt safe purchasing them and knowing they're NOT counterfeit? I'm afraid I wouldn't have. Going to Mexico for pharmaceuticals isn't a decision to be made at the spur of the moment. Hopefully, the information August provided will help Brenda to get her husband's medications in a safer, more sure- fire way before having to consider a trip out of the country. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com Re: Advice, please Group: alt.support.alzheimers Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2008, 4:30pm From: chuck_whealton@yahoo.com (Chuck Whealton) On Apr 29, 2:18 am, eddyj...@webtv.net (EddyJean) wrote: Hi Brenda Since you live in Texas, are you close enough to the Mexican border so you can buy your husband's medications there? Eddyjean EddyJean: While I don't blame a person one single bit for doing what they can to get their medication for less, or free, if at all possible, you have to be very careful going into Mexico for your pharmaceuticals. Yes, I have read about some success stories with people going in busloads to Mexico and getting their medications successfully - ALL THE MORE POWER TO THEM. However, when I went to Nogales Mexico recently - not for pharmaceuticals - I had pharmacists sticking their heads out of stores asking me if I needed any pharmaceuticals. Had I been looking for pharmaceuticals (which, thankfully I wasn't), do you think I would have felt safe purchasing them and knowing they're NOT counterfeit? I'm afraid I wouldn't have. Going to Mexico for pharmaceuticals isn't a decision to be made at the spur of the moment. Hopefully, the information August provided will help Brenda to get her husband's medications in a safer, more sure- fire way before having to consider a trip out of the country. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com ========================================== Charles: I've visited Tijuana six times, been to Nogales and Vera Cruz and never once encountered pharmacists promoting the sale of prescription drugs. There's good and bad in every country including the U.S. The admonition is: Buyer Beware. Every situation and individuals are different but found my travel experiences in Mexico quite good. I became quite ill while in Vera Cruz and received excellent care from the Red Cross. They charged nothing but did accept a donation. My prescription drugs were purchased at well-established, large, drug stores located in the central, or downtown areas of the city. Eddyjean > Charles: > I've visited Tijuana six times, been to Nogales and Vera Cruz and never [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Eddyjean Well EddyJean, I'm not disputing YOUR experience and I'm absolutely NOT saying that this reflects on all people from Mexico. If I thought that, I'd have never gone there (for leisure travel) to begin with. But that was MY experience and I would NOT feel safe purchasing pharmaceuticals under those circumstances in any country. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com Re: Advice, please Group: alt.support.alzheimers Date: Fri, May 2, 2008, 7:34am From: chuck_whealton@yahoo.com (Chuck Whealton) On May 1, 2:07 am, eddyj...@webtv.net (EddyJean) wrote: Charles: I've visited Tijuana six times, been to Nogales and Vera Cruz and never once encountered pharmacists promoting the sale of prescription drugs. There's good and bad in every country including the U.S. The admonition is: Buyer Beware. Every situation and individuals are different but found my travel experiences in Mexico quite good. I became quite ill while in Vera Cruz and received excellent care from the Red Cross. They charged nothing but did accept a donation. My prescription drugs were purchased at well-established, large, drug stores located in the central, or downtown areas of the city. Eddyjean Well EddyJean, I'm not disputing YOUR experience and I'm absolutely NOT saying that this reflects on all people from Mexico. If I thought that, I'd have never gone there (for leisure travel) to begin with. But that was MY experience and I would NOT feel safe purchasing pharmaceuticals under those circumstances in any country. Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com ========================================== Charles: I'm not disputing your experience in Mexico. While some folks have had bad experiences in Mexico, mine were good. Mexico has laws regarding the sale of prescriptions just as in the U.S. Charletans can be found anywhere. This is why prescriptions purchased in a foreign country should come from a large, well-established pharrmacy; Peace, Eddyjean A page with links to a number of financial assistance programs for prescriptions is at: http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/Linkarea/p16_sectionid/24 A good article that talks about how Consumer Reports found that Aricept and Namenda only help about 1 in 6 people, and that you should consider stopping it after three months if you don't see significant benefits, can be found at: Talk About Those Alzheimer's Prescriptions http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/Treatment/p2_articleid/225 >A page with links to a number of financial assistance programs for > prescriptions is at: [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Talk About Those Alzheimer's Prescriptions > http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/Treatment/p2_articleid/225 We were lucky in that my mother in law was one whom Aricept helped rather a lot. We found out just how much it helped when the doc tried to switch her to another drug instead. The difference was dramatic. We asked to switch back and the reversal was just as dramatic. After that we stayed with the Aricept. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn Aricept also helped my husband. Gwen <sid7425@gmail.com> wrote in message news:9b4b9b7f-1103-4f9e-9f06-af7e3e937cba@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com... >A page with links to a number of financial assistance programs for > prescriptions is at: [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Talk About Those Alzheimer's Prescriptions > http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/Treatment/p2_articleid/225 We were lucky in that my mother in law was one whom Aricept helped rather a lot. We found out just how much it helped when the doc tried to switch her to another drug instead. The difference was dramatic. We asked to switch back and the reversal was just as dramatic. After that we stayed with the Aricept. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn
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