About half of people with Alzheimer’s reside at a facility and half are being cared for at home, suggest newly released survey results.

Roughly 1,600 family members of Alzheimer’s patients were surveyed by AgingCare.com in October. Slightly more than half said their loved one is receiving at-home care from a family member or paid caregiver. Most commonly, the caregiver is a child or spouse of the Alzheimer’s patient.

One-quarter of the respondents said they are spending more than $4,000 a month on care. Among this group, the Alzheimer’s patient was about twice as likely to live in a facility: 31% were in a skilled nursing facility and 28% were in assisted living. For the survey as a whole, 16% were in a SNF and 13% in assisted living.

More than half of the respondents reported significant financial distress, and care was the top cost, whether provided by a homecare professional or in a facility. The findings highlight the importance of early discussions about financial planning, wrote Anne-Marie Botek, editor-in-chief of AgingCare.com.

Click here to access the complete findings.