Back in November 1983, President Ronald Reagan designated November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.  At the time, fewer than 2 million Americans had Alzheimer’s; today, the number of people with the disease has soared to nearly 5.4 million.

During November, National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month aims at making the general public more aware of the disease and the scale of it among the U.S. population, as well as bring new light potential care options for those affected.

Unicity Healthcare specializes in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care.  In fact, many renowned healthcare providers and elder service providers in New Jersey call on our expertise when dealing with people with Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Our Care Managers dementia experts/practitioners, and they also have significant experience dealing with Alzheimer’s clients and their families.

In this blog, we would like to share information on how to learn more about the Alzheimer’s epidemic and how you can show your support for Alzheimer’s awareness this month.

Facts About Alzheimer’s

Although Alzheimer’s affects approximately 1 in every 2 families in the U.S., there’s still quite a bit of information about Alzheimer’s that you might not be aware of.

• Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.
• Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age. Approximately 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease (also known as early-onset Alzheimer’s).
• Alzheimer’s worsens over time. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer’s live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
• Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although current Alzheimer’s treatments cannot stop Alzheimer’s from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.

The Alzheimer’s Epidemic In The United States

National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month is a call for Americans to pay attention to the epidemic that is raging throughout the country. Affecting nearly 15 million people, including caregivers and people living with the disease, chances are you most people have been somehow impacted by the Alzheimer’s epidemic. 

The Alzheimer’s Association recently related their 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, which reveal the following statistics about Alzheimer’s in the United States:

• Every 65 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease
• 5.7 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
• By 2050, an estimated 14 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s
• Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States
• 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or a related form of dementia
• In 2018, unpaid caregivers provided 18.4 billion hours of care, valued at over $232 billion
• The estimated lifetime cost of care for someone living with dementia is $341,840
• Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s could potentially save the country $7.9 trillion