US cost of Alzheimer's care projected to rise by $15 billion in 2024
Newsy
An estimated nearly 7 million seniors aged 65 and older in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer's dementia, says a report.
In a new report from the Alzheimer's Association, the national cost for caring for Alzheimer's patients is expected to increase by $15 billion in 2024, totaling $360 billion. About 70% of caregivers say they stress over coordinating care, with most health care workers surveyed saying the system isn't doing enough to help.
Dan Goerke knows the energy and cost of caregiving. He was the primary caregiver for his wife, Denise. She passed away from Alzheimer's at 63.
"She loved everything from climbing to hiking, camping. All of a sudden, we had the expenses, high expenses, of her care. So it completely changed the financial aspect of it. It put a lot of stress that I wasn't quite prepared for on me," Goerke told Scripps News.
He described his caregiver experience, something he now is more prepared for. He is now the secondary caregiver for his brother who lives in Indiana.
“When you're a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's, you have to completely handle the scheduling for everything — from appointments, to who's picking her up to go where, to prescriptions. You handle all the prescriptions. You're all of a sudden a doctor and a pharmacist."
