MADISON – A bill to help families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, authored by Rep. Dean Kaufert [R – Neenah], passed the State Assembly with bipartisan support this week. The bill (SB 152/AB 176) removes the outdated $48,000 income cap for families to access assistance from the state’s Alzheimer’s Family and Caregiver Support Program (AFCSP). It will allow available funds in this program to be used to help more families and their caregivers.
“Alzheimer’s and dementia don’t discriminate based on income, and our support programs shouldn’t either,” Kaufert said. “Caregiving is already an emotional and financial strain and no family in need should be denied assistance due to arbitrary income rules. We stand with families and caregivers across Wisconsin to make sure every family facing these challenges gets the help they need, by passing this bill.”
Currently, Wisconsin provides funding for caregiving assistance grants under the AFCSP, but families with a household income over $48,000 a year are excluded, even if they are struggling with care costs. This bill removes that outdated income limit, eliminating a barrier that has prevented many low- and middle-income families from accessing the program.
Many counties have been unable to utilize their full allotment of available state funds because of the existing income restrictions. In addition, recent changes in federal code could cause Wisconsin to lose access to funding from the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), which requires state or local matching funds that does not limit eligibility by an income test.
The AFCSP helps Wisconsin families provide care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia at home, which improves their quality of life and saves health care costs for out-of-home care. The program provides funding to counties, who distribute grants of up to $4,000 per year to eligible individuals for caregiving related services.
