10 New Facts About Alzheimer's

Research on Alzheimer’s progresses every year, and some of the statistics are staggering. The Alzheimer’s Association provides an annual report detailing costs and complications of the disease to patients, caregivers and the health care system.  We’ve pulled out 10 of the latest facts about Alzheimer’s disease..

1. Nearly half of adults aged 85 and over have Alzheimer’s disease.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s, an estimated one in eight people aged 65 and over (13%) suffer from Alzheimer’s, and .  It is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.
2. Out of approximately 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, more than half may not know they have it.
3. More women than men have Alzheimer’s disease.  The Alzheimer’s Association reports that nearly two-thirds of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s are women. The primary reason for this statistic is that women generally live longer than men.
4. Early-onset Alzheimer’s can develop in people as young as age 30.  Though the cause still isn’t well understood, some of these cases have a genetic component.
5. In America, a new case of Alzheimer’s develops every 68 seconds; by 2050, the incidence will increase to every 33 seconds. The rate at which Alzheimer’s disease occurs is projected to double by the middle of the century because of the growing population over age 65.
6. Alzheimer’s is the 6th-leading cause of death in the U.S., and the 5th-leading cause of death in adults aged 65 and over.
7. Over 15 million Americans are unpaid caregivers for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, most (70%) of those caregivers are female family members.
8. Alzheimer’s caregivers have an increased likelihood of physical strain, mental and emotional stress, depression, financial problems, and familial/interpersonal issues.
This is largely due to the communications difficulty and personality changes that affects the sufferer. Therapeutic and social support are shown to reduce this risk.
9. In 2012, the average annual cost of health care and LTC services for someone with Alzheimer’s was $43,847.
10. An estimated 800,000 Americans with Alzheimer’s are living alone.  Many of those have no identified caregiver, a situation which puts them at greater risk of social isolation, poor self-care, falls and other medical emergencies, wandering, malnutrition and a range of other issues.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

From Alzheimer’s Association, 2012 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. March 2012; 8:131–168.