– Total annual payments for
Alzheimer’s care surpass a quarter of a trillion dollars
– Deaths from Alzheimer’s
increase dramatically while deaths from other major causes decrease
– Strain of providing
Alzheimer’s care harms caregivers’ mental and physical health
CHICAGO, March 7,
2017 – For the first time, total payments exceeded a quarter of a trillion
dollars ($259 billion) for caring for individuals living with Alzheimer’s or
other dementias, according to data reported in the 2017 Alzheimer’s Disease
Facts and Figures report, released today by the Alzheimer’s Association.
The report also includes new research on the disease’s
impact on caregivers, such as family members. “This report details the physical
and mental damage many people experience when caring for someone with
Alzheimer’s,” said Beth Kallmyer, MSW, Vice President of Constituent Services
for the Alzheimer’s Association. “It also reveals how this burden
disproportionately affects women, who tend to spend more time caregiving, take
on more caregiving tasks and care for individuals with more cognitive, functional
and behavioral problems.”
More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care in the
form of physical, emotional and financia support for the estimated 5.5 million
Americans of all ages living with Alzheimer’s dementia. In 2016, Alzheimer’s
caregivers provided an estimated 18.2 billion hours of unpaid care – a
contribution to the nation valued at $230.1 billion.
The Facts and Figures report illustrates that the strain of
caregiving produces serious physical and mental health consequences. For
instance, more than one out of three (35 percent) caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s
or another dementia report that their health has gotten worse due to care
responsibilities, compared with one out
of five (19 percent) caregivers for older people without dementia. Also, depression
and anxiety are more common among dementia caregivers than among people
providing care for individuals with certain other conditions.
“As the number of people with Alzheimer’s continues to grow,
so do the impact and cost of providing care,” said Kallmyer. “While we’ve seen
recent increases in federal research funding and access to critical care
planning and support services, there’s still an urgent need to support research
that can bring us closer to effective treatment options and, ultimately, a
cure.”
Caring for someone living with dementia often falls on
women, who make up two-thirds of Alzheimer’s caregivers. New findings
highlighted in the report show that of all dementia caregivers who provided
care for more than 40 hours a week, 69 percent are women. Of those providing
care to someone with dementia for more than five years, 63 percent are women.
Soaring Cost,
Prevalence and Mortality
The report provides an in-depth look at the latest national
statistics and information on Alzheimer’s prevalence, incidence, use and costs
of care, caregiving and mortality.
The report shows that, for the first time, total annual
payments for health care, long-term care and hospice care for people with
Alzheimer’s and other dementias have surpassed a quarter of a trillion dollars
($259 billion). Additionally, despite support from Medicare, Medicaid and other
sources of financial assistance, individuals with Alzheimer’s or other
dementias still incur high out-of-pocket costs. The average per person out-of-pocket
costs for seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are almost five times
higher than average per-person payments for seniors without these conditions
($10,315 versus $2,232).
Although deaths from other major causes have decreased, new
data from the report shows that deaths from Alzheimer's have increased
significantly. Between 2000 and 2014, deaths from heart disease decreased 14
percent, while deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 89 percent.
Prevalence, Incidence
and Mortality
·
Of the estimated 5.5 million Americans with
Alzheimer’s dementia in 2017, 5.3 million people are age 65 and older and
approximately 200,000 are under age 65 (younger-onset Alzheimer’s).
·
Barring the development of medical
breakthroughs, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia
may nearly triple from 5.3 million to 13.8 million by 2050.
·
Every 66 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops
Alzheimer’s dementia. By mid-century, someone in the U.S. will develop the
disease every 33 seconds.
·
Approximately 480,000 people—almost half a
million—age 65 or older will develop Alzheimer’s dementia in the U.S. in 2017.
·
Two-thirds of Americans over age 65 with
Alzheimer’s dementia (3.3 million) are women.
·
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death
in the U.S. and the fifth-leading cause of death for those ages 65 and older.
·
Alzheimer's remains the only disease among the
top 10 causes of death in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even
slowed.
Cost of Paid and
Unpaid Care
•
Total national cost of caring for those with
Alzheimer’s and other dementias is estimated at $259 billion (excludes unpaid
caregiving), of which $175 billion is the cost to Medicare and Medicaid alone.
•
Total payments for health care, long-term care
and hospice care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are projected
to increase to more than $1.1 trillion in 2050 (in 2017 dollars).
The 2017 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures special
report, titled “Alzheimer’s Disease: The Next Frontier,” highlights advances in
research that may allow for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms
of Alzheimer’s begin. By using biomarkers, researchers and clinicians will be
able to improve how we identify and diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The Special Report
appears in the April 2017 issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of
the Alzheimer’s Association.
About 2017
Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures
The Alzheimer's Association 2017 Alzheimer's Disease Facts
and Figures report is a comprehensive compilation of national statistics and
information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The report conveys
the impact of Alzheimer’s on individuals, families, government and the nation’s
health care system. Since its 2007 inaugural release, the report has become the
preeminent source covering the broad spectrum of Alzheimer’s issues. The Facts
and Figures report is an official publication of the Alzheimer’s Association.
About the Alzheimer’s
Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health
organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through
the advancement of research, to provide
and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of
dementia through the promotion of
brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. For more information,
visit the Alzheimer’s Association at
alz.org or call the 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900.
Reprinted from: http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/facts-and-figures-2017-news-release.pdf
