Dementia Care at $109 Billion Beats Heart Disease on Cost
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The cost of caring for dementia patients has reached $109 billion annually, exceeding that for heart disease and cancer, and will double by the time the youngest Baby Boomers reach their 70s, according to a study.
Dementia, most commonly taking the form of Alzheimer’s, results in a loss of brain function affecting memory, thinking, language, judgment and behavior. More than 5 million Americans have the Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and that number will rise 40 percent by 2025. Dementia represents a substantial financial burden on society, researchers said in the study published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.