Costa Rica targets Alzheimer patients

High care costs in the United States for patients with Alzheimer’s disease are prompting families to look to other countries, including Costa Rica, as an alternative treatment option. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Alzheimer’s patients live in the U.S., and someone is diagnosed with the condition every 67 seconds.

High care costs in the United States for patients with Alzheimer’s disease are prompting families to look to other countries, including Costa Rica, as an alternative treatment option.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Alzheimer’s patients live in the U.S., and someone is diagnosed with the condition every 67 seconds. Out-of-pocket health care costs paid by family members of Alzheimer’s patients will total $34 billion in 2014.

Seeing a potential market, some care centres in Costa Rica now offer bilingual services targeting Alzheimer’s patients.

La Casa Sol, in the San José suburb of Escazú, is a day care centre offering physiotherapy, psycho geriatric evaluations and sensory stimulation. Jenny Mora of La Casa Sol advises, “Patients have several options, including music therapy that includes singing and dancing, table games, gardening, a literature club, and sports such as volleyball and golf. La Casa Sol has about 45 patients, but they do not attend every day. Some attend once a month, while others visit two or three times a week. Some are from the United States, and others are from Venezuela, Spain, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. We have staff who speak English, and those who don’t speak Spanish won’t feel isolated. Dancing exercises explanations are given in both languages.”

The centre offers care, and has links to doctors and hospitals for medical care at affordable prices. It can also help patients find and purchase affordable prescription drugs. The centre offers a nutritional menu designed to manage cholesterol, triglycerides and uric acid for diabetics.

Dispelling the belief that paying for care is only for the well off, Jenny Mora explains, “People have the wrong impression that Americans coming here have a lot of money. That is not true, because we are aware of the costs associated with aging. This is one of the reasons we always look for the best and most affordable pharmacies.”

Another centre that offers services for Alzheimer’s patients is Verdeza, in Escazú. Verdeza has four floors of varying residential care. The second floor caters to Alzheimer’s patients and has specialized staff. Daily services include housekeeping, laundry, lifestyle activity assistance, prescription drug management, meals, social programmes and therapeutic activities .At Verdeza, a monthly payment of $3800 includes an apartment, targeted care and meals. A similar care package in the U.S. could cost up to $9,000 a month, depending on the state

Maybell Araya of Verdeza says, ”We have permanent residents from California, Arizona and North Carolina. Temporary guests stay from two weeks up to three months, or longer.”

There is a debate between health experts as to whether or not sending Alzheimer’s patients abroad is workable. Some argue that it is important to keep them at home and near family, friends and in familiar neighbourhoods to stimulate with memories, language and familiar culture. But other experts say that depending on the advancement of the disease, patients are able to adjust to new environments, and what makes the difference is the quality of care they receive. Both sides agree that patients should only be sent abroad to specialist centres, not general care homes, clinics or hospitals.