Sneakers, t-shirts, head bands, belts, leggings, skirts, shirts, shorts, socks. Whatever your style or desire. Wear purple on June 20 in support of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.
Dementia remains the number one cause of long-term care insurance (LTCI) claims. A major LTCI insurer has reported that two-thirds of new claims for facility care are tied to dementia. Another has reported that the cost of dementia claims comprises $0.51 of every $1.00.
Facts and stats
From the Alzheimer’s Association:
Prevalence
- Today, 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia
- By 2050 that number is expected to increase to 14 million
- Every 65 seconds someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with dementia
Deaths
- One in three seniors die with Alzheimer’s
- Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
- Alzheimers kills more than breast and prostate cancer combined
Cost of care
- This year the cost to the nation for Alzheimer’s care is estimated to be $305 billion
- The cost is estimated to be $1.1 trillion by 2050
- Today, 16 million people provide unpaid care for a loved one with dementia
- Unpaid care totals 18.6 billion hours annually and is valued at $244 billion
We need to do more
Now consider that 50% of primary care physicians think that the medical profession is unprepared for the growing number of people with Alzheimer’s.
In a TED presentation, Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice and a neuroscientist, stated if you don’t have it, you will be a caregiver for someone who does.
If we can fast-track a vaccine for a coronavirus, why haven’t we been able to find a cure for dementia?
If we can invest trillions in economic stimulation packages, can we invest more in research to find a cure for dementia?