2021 SPECIAL REPORT ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (these facts are unbelievable!)

Did you know that every year the Alzheimer’s Association comes out with a special report on various important issues related to alzheimer’s disease and other dementias? I’m going to share some of the takeaways from this report AND I’m going to show you how you can download your own free copy of the 2021 report if you want to take a closer look. It truly is filled with tons of eye opening and helpful information. 

If you would rather watch a video on this topic, click here. 

For example, they put together this really simple graph that explains the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.

Someone starts in the preclinical states, then moves to the mild cognitive statges where there are mild symptoms that don’t interfere with everyday activities. Then they progress to the mild alzheimer’s stage where the symptoms start to interfere with some activities and then to the moderate stage where it interfere with many of the daily activities. It ends with the severe stage where symptoms interfere with most daily activities. And of course, they note that even though this graph are equal in size, the amount of time people spend in each stage isn’t the same length on time (as I explain in the my stages of dementia video here). 

This report predicts that by the year 2050, there will be 12.7 milliion people in the U.S. 65 years and older with Alzheimer’s disease.

As of 2021, there are 6.2 million people with Alzheimer’s disease. Notice that I’m being specific and only talking about Alzheimer’s disease because that’s what the report focuses on, so the number with other types of dementia will make this number even higher.

Here are some highlights from the report:

• The older you get, the more risk you have of getting Alzheimer’s disease. 
  • Ages 65-74= 5.3%
  • Ages 74-84 = 13.8%
  • Ages 85 and older = 34.6%
• 1 in 3 older adults who die, die with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.
• The people who are caring for people with dementia are YOU...family members and friends. 
• More than 11 million family/friends in the U.S. provide unpaid care for someone with dementia.
• In 2020, family and friends provider $257 BILLION worth of unpaid care, that's around 15.3 billion hours of unpaid care.
• ⅔ of the caregivers are women
• 30% are 65 years old or older
• Over half are providing care to a parent or in- law.

The cost of health care and long term care for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in 2020 was $355 BILLION.That doesn’t include the $257 billion worth of unpaid care families who are already doing. Of that $355 billion, about 67% was covered by medicare/medicaid and 22%, or $76 billion, was out of pocket costs passed on to the families.

There’s no question about it, you are all doing a HUGE job while juggling your own families, friends, desires. The country is clearly depending on you since you are providing most of the care. I hope one day something changes so there is more support, emotionally, physically, and financially for you and your loved one with dementia. 

There’s so much more information in the report including breaking down information by states, topics of race and diversity in dementia, death rates, length of hospital stays and more. 

If you have a particular interest in learning more, I’ve linked the guide here. The Alzheimer’s Association puts out a new report every year and they tend to highlight a different area each year. It’s free and eye opening in terms of what’s happening in the country when it comes to dementia and the people who take care of them. 

Sending love to you all. 

In addition to the free facts and figures report, you can download your free dementia caregiver surivival guide here. 

Thank you.