School of Nursing financial course to aid family caregivers in lowering out-of-pocket costs

Photo of senior adult with her caregiver-son

Providing care for an older adult living in the community with dementia can be costly, and Latino caregivers appear to bear more of the burden. According to a 2021 AARP study, Latino caregivers spent 47% of their income on these costs compared to 26% spent by caregivers of any race or ethnicity.

These costs could include a wide variety of expenses, such as home modifications, insurance co-pays, hygiene products, rent and groceries.

To help Latino caregivers manage the high costs of care, UT Health San Antonio is offering a five-part, online course called CONFIDENCE Financial Education and Training. The first weekly course will begin 10:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday, May 12. Sessions will be offered approximately monthly through June 2023, but space is limited.

Kylie Meyer, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Nursing’s Caring for the Caregiver program, is leading the project in collaboration with Donna Benton, PhD at the University of Southern California. Developing and testing the financial management course is funded by a three-year, $449,000 grant from the AARP Foundation.

Topics will include how to find community resources to displace out-of-pocket care costs, developing help-seeking skills, managing another persons’ money, balancing employment and caregiving and more.

“I believe CONFIDENCE will help Latinos/Hispanics recognize how much out-of-pocket money they spend and how that impacts them through the long-term care of a loved one,” said lead intervention facilitator Alexander Gonzalez of USC. “Care professionals trained on how to deliver the program shared that this program will plant a lot of seeds that should help Latinos plan, save and look for resources.”

Caregivers who participate also may be eligible to participate in a study to help improve this course so that it can be offered more widely in the future. Once you register to participant in a CONFIDENCE session, you will be contacted by a member of the research team to learn whether you are interested in joining the study and are eligible. According to the AARP study, 48 million people provide unpaid care to adult family members or friends. Eighty percent of those caregivers report having routine out-of-pocket expenses related to care. The average total cost is approximately $7,242 and $8,978 for families caring for someone living with dementia.

Latinos caring for persons living with dementia are invited to register for course. Register here or by calling Dr. Meyer at 210-567-5102.



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