Alzheimer’s can be a deeply painful disorder for those with the condition and their loved ones. Since it can cause severe memory loss, it leaves people unable to engage in the activities they used to enjoy and interact with the people they loved. Worse yet, it remains relatively mysterious-- we don’t know for a fact what causes it.
These are the reasons why we need a World Alzheimer’s Month, and thank goodness we have one in September. People whose family members have Alzheimer’s are all too aware of it, and this month can help others slow the progress of the disease while researchers look for a cure.
In the meantime, those living with the disorder still need to survive, and naturally, Alzheimer’s can make many lines of work impossible. This is why those who are affected by Alzheimer’s should investigate the possibility of Social Security disability benefits for their illness. That way, they can get the treatment that they need to slow the progress of the disease while still having the money that they need to survive and pay their bills.
World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
World Alzheimer’s Month is celebrated in September (the U.S. counterpart is celebrated in November), and its goal is to get people to embrace early diagnoses and address the problem as soon as possible. It also attempts to combat the stigma and misinformation surrounding Alzheimer’s, which is important because detecting it early is the key to being able to slow its progress.
World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is meant to make people more aware of the signs of this illness and help people come to terms with it. However, if you or someone you love has Alzheimer’s, you probably already know how difficult it can be to live with this disease-- especially when it comes to making ends meet. This is where Social Security benefits can be incredibly helpful.
How to Qualify for Alzheimer's with the Blue Book
Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s isn’t assigned its own section in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book, which is a guide to disorders that help people qualify for benefits. This is common with neurological disorders since they’re still poorly understood. However, Section 11.A mentions it by name, and it’s still possible to get Social Security disability benefits with Alzheimer’s disease because it limits a person’s ability to function.
More importantly, a person could also qualify for Alzheimer’s as part of a compassionate allowance. Compassionate allowances are processed much more quickly than Social Security disability applications, and they’re reserved for people whose conditions are severe and have very clearly left them disabled under the SSA’s definition. Since Alzheimer’s can progress so quickly, it may be prudent to simply apply for a compassionate allowance if it’s already obvious that Alzheimer’s has irrevocably limited a person’s ability to work.
If you have early-onset Alzheimer’s or helping someone who does with their application, you have to get all of the medical documents you need to prove that Alzheimer’s has affected that person’s ability to work. Doctor’s notes, medical scans, blood test, psychiatrist’s notes are among the many types of documents that can help bolster your case.
How a Social Security Attorney or Advocate Could Help You Qualify
Filing a claim is difficult enough, but filing a claim if you have early-onset Alzheimer’s or are simply helping someone who does presents its own special challenges. Working with someone who has severe memory loss means that documents could get lost, dates could be forgotten, and that these issues will only get worse with time. In short, it’s extremely difficult under the best of circumstances.
But this is exactly why a Social Security disability attorney can be so helpful in cases like this. While you are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, the Social Security disability attorney will work tirelessly to make sure that your loved one gets the compensation that they need, even (and especially if) they cannot take care of themselves. You already have plenty to worry about, so don’t add filing a claim to your already mountainous pile of tasks.
You may be wondering how to pay this attorney. Some people aren’t initially aware of this, but Social Security disability attorneys paid on a contingency basis. This means that you won’t have to pay an attorney unless they help you win your case.
There’s no time to lose. The nature of Alzheimer’s is such that it’ll progress faster than you can imagine. This World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, get to know more about the disease and just as much about what options you have if you are faced with it.
