Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia that affects millions of people worldwide. More than 6 million people in the United States alone are suffering from this devastating ailment, and the number will increase to 13 million by 2050. Every year, doctors diagnose about 1 million new cases. Today, it is not uncommon for anyone to have friends whose parents or spouse has Alzheimer’s.
With overwhelming numbers of Alzheimer’s patients are a substantial number of people, the caregivers, who devote themselves to caring for their loved ones or patients. According to statistics, approximately half of all caregivers who provide care to seniors are that of Alzheimer’s or other dementia patients. About 66% of them live with the person with the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease not only affects the patients but impacts the lives of their entire families. Watching a loved one struggling with this cruel ailment is distressing and heartbreaking. More than twice as many caregivers of dementia patients than the caregivers of other patients report significant emotional, monetary, and physical challenges.
Dementia is one of the most expensive disorders for society, with enormous expenditures associated with health care and long-term care for those living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Families bear 70% of the overall lifetime cost of caring for a person with dementia, either via out-of-pocket medical and long-term care costs or through the value of unpaid care.
As per recent statistics, over 11 million Americans, who provide care to Alzheimer’s patients, are unpaid caregivers, who provided a total of 16 billion hours of care, worth around $272 billion in 2021. The most important thing to remember is that these caregivers often have to work less or quit their job due to increased responsibility. In other cases, they have to pay for a caregiver since insurance and Medicare do not reimburse for hired help. All this further puts them in a tight spot financially.
Considering all the costs of caregiving and the financial challenges the caregivers face, there is an urgent need to support the caregivers of Alzheimer’s and dementia, which we can do by donating as much as possible. For this purpose, many Alzheimer’s support organizations, including Alzheimer’s Research Association, are working 24/7 to provide financial relief to caregivers. However, given the rapidly increasing numbers of Alzheimer’s patients, more donations are needed to help more and more caregivers.
Alzheimer’s disease is frightening. We must understand what it is like for the caregivers who have to witness their loved ones slowly disappear before their own eyes and devote themselves to caring for them even if they face emotional and financial instabilities. We can help them in their predicament with our support and donations and tell them that they are not alone.
Donate to Alzheimer’s Research Association
Alzheimer’s Research Association is a non-profit organization that works to support the caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Its founders, being caregivers themselves, had a vision of helping caregivers with the latest information and research on the disease, caregiving tips, and most importantly, donations and grants. They have worked continuously to achieve their goals, and their mission continues to be a source of guidance and support to many.
We want you to be a part of this mission. You can help us in our fight against Alzheimer’s! You can donate here: Donate to Alzheimer’s Research Association.
