Alzheimer's Disease Resources   Tags: geriatric_medicine, health, health_behavior_and_health_education, health_care, health_communications, health_sciences, patient_education  

September 21 is World Alzheimer’s Day.

November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month.

• As many as 5.3 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's

• Alzheimer's and dementia triple healthcare costs for Americans 65 and older

• Every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's

• Alzheimer’s costs more than $148 billion each year to Medicare, Medicaid and businesse

Source: Alzheimer's Association

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities.

AD begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know. Over time, symptoms get worse. People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later on, they may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, they need total care. This can cause great stress for family members who must care for them.

AD usually begins after age 60. The risk goes up as you get older. Your risk is also higher if a family member has had the disease.

No treatment can stop the disease. However, some drugs may help keep symptoms from getting worse for a limited time.

Source: National Institute on Aging

Hospice care

• Number of current patients with Alzheimer's as primary diagnosis: 7,900
• Percent of current patients with Alzheimer's as primary diagnosis: 7.5%

Source: 2000 National Home and Hospice Care Survey, Current Hospice Care Patient

Nursing home care

• Number of residents with Alzheimer's: 231,900
• Percent of residents with Alzheimer's: 16%

Source: 2004 National Nursing Home Survey, Residents, Table 33B

• Number of deaths: 72,432
• Deaths per 100,000 population: 24.2
• Cause of death rank: 7

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2006, Tables B, 10, 11

See http://www.lib.umich.edu/ask for additional contact methods.