Summary Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, whose symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years depending on age of onset and the presence of other health conditions. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
Context of the Problem Research funding remains inadequate, and the pervasiveness of the Alzheimer’s, is widely misunderstood. Alzheimer's currently costs the United States some $214 billion annually, according to federal government estimates. Care of the victims will cost Medicare and Medicaid $150 billion in the current fiscal year; the remaining costs will fall largely on patients and their families. The demography of aging predicts that older adults, who now number 40.4 million, may number …show more content…
• Alzheimer’s disease in particular affect individuals and every facet of families, health care, business, states, and communities.
• Aging is a complex process that involves factors unique to each individual, older people are more diverse in their health and socioeconomic status, ethnicity and race, and family
• Most men age 65 years and older are married, while women are more likely to be widowed and living alone. Racial disparities in healthcare are better explained by delayed care due to a lack of cultural and ethnic knowledge of professional caregivers and lack of adequate healthcare benefits.
Critique of the Current Policy: As a society we must become more aggressive in our efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s than we have to date. Studies state that the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple, by 2050 from 5.1 million to a projected 13.8 million, unless we can find a medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease. The initial foray into the federal policy arena, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, is a good first step but remains limited in scope and
Context of the Problem Research funding remains inadequate, and the pervasiveness of the Alzheimer’s, is widely misunderstood. Alzheimer's currently costs the United States some $214 billion annually, according to federal government estimates. Care of the victims will cost Medicare and Medicaid $150 billion in the current fiscal year; the remaining costs will fall largely on patients and their families. The demography of aging predicts that older adults, who now number 40.4 million, may number …show more content…
• Alzheimer’s disease in particular affect individuals and every facet of families, health care, business, states, and communities.
• Aging is a complex process that involves factors unique to each individual, older people are more diverse in their health and socioeconomic status, ethnicity and race, and family
• Most men age 65 years and older are married, while women are more likely to be widowed and living alone. Racial disparities in healthcare are better explained by delayed care due to a lack of cultural and ethnic knowledge of professional caregivers and lack of adequate healthcare benefits.
Critique of the Current Policy: As a society we must become more aggressive in our efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s than we have to date. Studies state that the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple, by 2050 from 5.1 million to a projected 13.8 million, unless we can find a medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease. The initial foray into the federal policy arena, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, is a good first step but remains limited in scope and