Alzheimer's is a cruel disease. It robs afflicted individuals in Maryland and across the rest of the nation of their memories, their sense of self and their connections with loved ones. Alzheimer's hijacks an individual's reality and morphs it into something that feels foreign and scary. As a family member, it can be heartbreaking to watch a loved one slowly drift away in this most common form of dementia.
In 2010, it was estimated that across the country, including here in Maryland, 4.7 million victims had this disease. However, frightening predictions issued in a science journal indicate that by 2050 this number could skyrocket to 14 million individuals in the country afflicted with this disease.
This disease often impacts an entire family as an individual loses their ability to care for themselves or live alone. Often, families struggle to absorb the financial ramifications of this disease. Early-onset Alzheimer's was recently added to the Social Security Administration's list of Compassionate Allowances. This means that adults that are afflicted with this at an earlier age and consequently unable to work are able to collect disability benefits, and do so in an expedited process.
However, Alzheimer's that is not early-onset is not presently on the list of Social Security Disability eligible impairments. With the projected increase of the population that could be impacted by this, it will be interesting to see if the Social Security Administration reconsiders this decision.
Social Security Disability benefits can help an individual that is unable to work and impacted by a disabling mental condition or illness provide for themselves. An experienced legal attorney can be invaluable when an individual is looking to navigate this often complex process in Maryland in pursuit of benefits.