UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing financial course to aid family caregivers in lowering out-of-pocket costs

Photo of senior adult with her caregiver-son

Sign-up underway for June 16-July 14 sessions

Contact: Steven Lee, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu

Written by Rosanne Fohn

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. Sign-up is underway for the course that starts Thursday, June 16, 10:30 a.m. to noon Central time, with succeeding parts scheduled weekly through July 14. Space is limited, but the five-part course will continue to be offered approximately monthly through June 2023.

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.


The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also referred to as UT Health San Antonio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 40,000 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

The UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing, one of five schools of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, offers five academic programs consisting of BSN, DNP and PhD degrees and specialty certificates. As a recognized Hispanic Serving Institution, we are dedicated to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the nursing profession as we educate future nurses who mirror the communities that they will serve. First-generation college students represent approximately one-third of enrollment. Our school operates a growing patient-care practice providing primary and acute care at our own clinic, Wellness 360, and at a variety of community partner sites. To learn more, go to https://www.uthscsa.edu/academics/nursing.

Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.



Share This Article!