Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative neurological condition that results in progressive cognitive decline. The first symptom of Alzheimer’s is short-term memory loss, which becomes more pronounced as the disease worsens. Eventually, Alzheimer’s disease affects all aspects of an individual's life, such as speech, problem solving, recognition abilities, and behavior. In the late stage of Alzheimer’s, an individual's symptoms might include the inability to recognize family members, lack of cognitive abilities, incontinence, an inability to even feed oneself, and even an inability to walk. Treatment options include medications and other therapies to improve quality of life and possibly slow the progression of the disease.
Disability for Alzheimer's Disease
Can one win Social Security disability or SSI disability benefits on the basis of Alzheimer’s? Yes, depending on the stage of the disease. The disability listing that Social Security uses to evaluate the severity of Alzheimer's disease (and other forms of dementia) is the listing for Organic Mental Disorders. To meet the requirements of this disability listing, the applicant must prove that he or she has one of the following:
-
memory problems, the inability to remember either new information or past events
- disorientation as to place and time, and/or
- disturbances in mood or temperament or changes in personality.
These problems must result in a severe problems with at least two of the following:
- tasks of daily living (for example, shopping, cooking, taking the bus, and personal hygiene)
- getting along with others
- focusing on and completing tasks, or
- recurring episodes of decompensation (periods of time with increased memory loss, disorientation, or personality issues).
Applying for Disability for Alzheimer's
To help someone apply for disability, you can call 800-772-1213 to set up an appointment to submit an application for SSI or SSDI through your local SSA office. If you’re helping someone to apply for SSDI only, you can do so online at ssa.gov. In your application, include how the applicant's dementia is affecting their ability to take care of their daily needs.
If the applicant has other physical problems as well, include these on the application. Even if a mental impairment or a physical impairment isn't severe enough to qualify on its own, sometimes together they can qualify for disabillity.
