Last month we went pink for breast cancer awareness, now it’s time to go purple for Alzheimer’s awareness. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder, meaning that over time it becomes worse. It’s the most common form of dementia, being responsible for 50-80% of cases, affecting more than five million people in the U.S. with 200,000 being under the age of 65. This number is estimated to hit 7.1 million by the year 2025. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. It’s said that an American develops this disease every 68 seconds. As of now there is no treatment to cure, delay, or stop the progression of the disease. There are approved drugs to slow worsening symptoms by about six to twelve months. Alzheimer’s is the only one of America’s top ten diseases that has increased in mortality rates rather than decreased and has no way to prevent, cure, or slow its progression. One in every three senior citizens will die with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
This year Alzheimer’s will cost the nation $203 billion. Long distance Alzheimer’s caregivers cost twice as much out-of-pocket as local caregivers; 15% of caregivers are long-distance. Last year, caregivers provided 17 billion hours of unpaid care, which is the equivalent to $216 billion.
Alzheimer’s affects millions of people and their families practically every minute and there is still no cure. If we continue to raise awareness, that can change. Anyone can be an advocate, spread the word, and donate; you don’t have to know someone with the disease. Just know that it’s out there and it is affecting lives constantly. There are also programs such as ALZ stars, which benefits the support, and research efforts for the Alzheimer’s Association. Or join the Walk to End Alzheimer’s®. There are plenty of opportunities to raise awareness about this disease, and one day there will hopefully be a cure.
http://act.alz.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_chapter&scid=1740