Study highlights dementia burden on caregivers

If you needed another argument for long-term care, here it is. A report released earlier this month by the Alzheimer’s Association found over 5 million Americans suffer from the disease. An overwhelming majority of those are 65 or older, but the Association estimates there are 500,000 Americans under 65 who suffer from Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia.

The study predicts there will be half a million new cases this year, and that by 2050 there will be almost a million new cases. The Association estimates that the total cost of care for dementia will be $172 billion in 2010.