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Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias present
enormous demographic and financial challenges to society.
Today, an estimated 4.5 million Americans, more than one in
10 persons over age 65 and nearly half of those over 85, have
Alzheimer’s disease.
As baby boomers enter the age of increased risk, the number
of persons over 65 with Alzheimer’s will increase to
6.5 million in 2025 and 13.4 million in 2050 (mid-range estimate)
unless science finds a way to prevent or cure the disease.
Annual Medicare and Medicaid costs of treating beneficiaries
with Alzheimer’s disease will increase 65 percent in
the next five years.
Alzheimer’s disease costs American business $61 billion
a year, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer’s
Association. Of that figure, $24.6 billion covers Alzheimer
health care, and $36.5 billion covers costs related to caregivers
of individuals with Alzheimer’s, including lost productivity,
absenteeism and worker replacement.
Beyond the demographic and financial challenges of Alzheimer’s
lies the devastating impact of the disease on families. Alzheimer’s
disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys
a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make
judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As
Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience
changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness
or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.
Individuals with Alzheimer’s eventually lose the ability
to live independently, and even the most devoted caregivers
cannot meet their needs for round-the-clock care. Most Alzheimer
caregivers are women and one third have children or grandchildren
under the age of 18 living at home. Compared with others,
Alzheimer caregivers provide more time-consuming, physically
demanding care for longer periods of time.
Nearly one in four Alzheimer caregivers provides more than
40 hours per week of care, and 65 percent of Alzheimer caregivers
perform the most difficult kinds of personal care –
bathing, feeding and dealing with incontinence. These tasks
are even more difficult for a person with dementia who is
confused, disoriented and unable to assist in even the most
basic activities of daily living.
Next: Making Alzheimer's a National Priority
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Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities.
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