Misperceptions of Medicaid Ineligibility Persist among African American Caregivers of Alzheimer's Dementia Care Recipients

African American caregivers of the elderly, including those who care for patients with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, remain underserved by Medicaid Assistance Programs. The purpose of this exploratory study was to ascertain to what degree participants in an Alzheimer's Association program that primarily targeted African Americans applied for and received Medicaid assistance, in particular for adult day care, in-home care, and respite care. Secondary data from the Delaware Regional Office of the Alzheimer's Association's 2006 Caregiver Survey of 38 caregivers were reviewed using descriptive, chi-square, and logistic regression analysis. Results indicate that 20 caregivers applied for Medicaid services, 12 of whom were approved. However, 18 caregivers did not apply for Medicaid mainly because they perceived that they would not qualify for benefits, without investigating their eligibility. Clearly more education is needed in African American communities about the eligibility requirements and benefits of Medicaid Assistance Programs because services such as adult day care, in-home care, and respite care have been shown to reduce some of the burden, stress, and strain associated with caring for elderly patients with Alzheimer's dementia. However, a multisystem approach should be used in the outreach and education processes. Finally, the Medicaid application process should be streamlined to make it less cumbersome. More financial and support services are needed by African American caregivers of Alzheimer's care recipients. (Population Health Management 2012;15:174-180)