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New Alzheimer’s Association report reveals sharp increases in prevalence, deaths, costs of care


For the second consecutive year, total payments to care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias will surpass a quarter of a trillion dollars ($277 billion), which includes an increase of nearly $20 billion from last year, according to data reported in the Alzheimer’s Association 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report released today.

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New findings from the report show the growing burden of Alzheimer’s on people living with the disease, their families and caregivers, as well as society at large.

The number of older Americans is growing rapidly, so too is the number of people living with Alzheimer’s and the subsequent impact on the nation’s economy. By 2050, the total cost of care for Alzheimer’s is projected to increase to more than $1.1 trillion.

Given the long duration of this disease, the strain on Alzheimer’s caregivers can last several years and produce serious declines in caregiver physical, emotional and financial well-being.

In 2017, 16 million Americans provided an estimated 18.4 billion hours of unpaid care in the form of physical, emotional and financial support – a contribution to the nation valued at $232.1 billion.

The Alzheimer’s Association 2018 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.

Updated Alzheimer’s Statistics

The Facts and Figures report provides an in-depth look at the latest national and state statistics and information on Alzheimer’s prevalence, incidence, mortality, costs of care and caregiving:
Prevalence, Incidence, and Mortality

  • An estimated 5.7 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2018.
  • Of the estimated 5.7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2018, 71,000 are Kentucky residents.
  • By 2025 – just seven years from now – the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia is estimated to reach 7.1 million – an increase of almost 29 percent from the 5.5 million age 65 and older affected in 2018. Here in Kentucky, the estimated number of individuals with Alzheimer’s will be 86,000.
  • Barring the development of medical breakthroughs, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia may nearly triple from 5.5 million to 13.8 million by 2050.
  • Two-thirds of Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer’s dementia (3.4 million) are women.
  • Every 65 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.
  • Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and it is the fifth-leading cause of death for those age 65 and older. In Kentucky, 1,694 died with Alzheimer’s in 2015, the most recent figure available.
  • As the population of the U.S. ages, Alzheimer’s is becoming a more common cause of death, and it is the only top 10 cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

Cost of Care

  • In Kentucky, the report estimated total Medicaid costs for Americans with dementia age 65 and older is $721 million for 2018. In the next seven years, that figure is expected to increase 29.3 percent.
  • Total national cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is estimated at $277 billion (not including unpaid caregiving) in 2018, of which $186 billion is the cost to Medicare and Medicaid; out-of-pocket costs represent $60 billion of the total payments, while other costs total $30 billion.
  • 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 2018 dollars).
  • In 2017, the lifetime cost of care for a person living with dementia was $341,840 – with 70 percent of this cost borne by families directly through out-of-pocket costs and the value of unpaid care.

Caregiving

  • Nearly half of all caregivers (48 percent) who provide help to older adults do so for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
  • Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women, and one-third of dementia caregivers are daughters.
  • Forty-one percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Its 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.

The Alzheimer’s Association Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter covers a 125-county area with offices in Louisville, Lexington, and Evansville, Indiana.

For more information click here, or call 800.272.3900.

Alzheimer’s Association


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