A report of facts and figures for Alzheimer’s disease in 2022, recently published by the Alzheimer’s Association, showed that the burden of disease in countries and states continues to grow.
The report details the latest statistics on Alzheimer’s disease in the areas of prevalence, incidence, mortality, long-term care costs, and caregiver impact.
More Americans are living with this disease. An estimated 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65, including 280,000 in Pennsylvania, had Alzheimer’s disease in 2021.
The death toll from Alzheimer’s disease has increased by a remarkable 145% since 2021, including 280,000 in Pennsylvania.
As a result, many friends and family work as caregivers for Alzheimer’s disease. In Pennsylvania, 401,000 caregivers provided a total of 642 million hours of unpaid care, worth more than $ 10 billion.
The cost of Medicaid to care for people with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated at $ 3,658 million. By 2025, these costs are projected to increase by 10.2%.
“It really amplifies the fact that dementia needs to address the impact on our health system as well as on the cost of family and care,” said Greater Pittsburgh’s Vice President of Programs and Services at the Alzheimer’s Association. One Sara Murphy said. chapter. “This is a really urgent public health crisis.”
Sarah Porter is a Recruiter Retention Coordinator at Home Insted in Washington, where many clients provide personalized home care services that show symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Often there are clients who have all the signs of dementia, but they are never officially diagnosed,” she said. “It makes things very difficult. We may get additional help to them, but we need a diagnosis to provide treatment. There are resources, but no diagnosis. . “
Porters living in Lone Pine have a personal connection to this illness. Her grandmother, Joan Rosie, died in 2019 after fighting dementia.
“She showed signs and symptoms of dementia in 2011, and it took her until 2017 to actually be diagnosed,” Porter said. “(Primary care physicians) don’t really like making such a diagnosis. They want to leave it to a specialist, but at the same time, many people unless you refer them to a Gerontrogist. Don’t even know they exist. It’s a good idea to follow up with a Gerontrogist when you reach a certain age. “
According to the report, only 23% of PCPs are familiar with new treatments in the pipeline for dealing with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease. When MCI was detected, PCP most often recommended lifestyle changes (73%).
This year’s report includes a new section on the workforce for dementia care. There are about 273 geriatricians in Pennsylvania. By 2050, 601 geriatricians will be needed to serve 10% of the federal elderly aged 65 and over.
“There is a great need to have a caring person in the workforce who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias,” Murphy admitted. “See how the numbers in the report compare to the numbers for those diagnosed in 2050 with the number of professionals we have. Everything is out of balance.”
Murphy said mitigating and improving cognitive assessments performed by primary care physicians could be a way to address the shortage of specialists in these types of illnesses.
There is also an optimistic view. Patients and PCPs feel that new treatments to combat Alzheimer’s disease are imminent. As of February, there are 104 disease-modifying therapies being evaluated at various stages of clinical trials or regulatory appeals.
“In this report, we want to raise public awareness in the community,” Murphy said. “As the numbers continue to grow, the Alzheimer’s Disease Association raises awareness of the need for early detection and diagnosis, expands community care and support services for all people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and is important. By funding good research, we remain true to our mission. “
