. Nearly 40 percent say they had no choice in becoming a caregiver.
- The societal impact of Alzheimer’s disease—on government, families and business—totals about $300 billion per year.
- Almost two-thirds of all working caregivers report having to go to work late, leave early or take time off to provide care. Yet they get less support for elder care than they do for child care. So it’s not surprising that nearly half of all women caregivers report high emotional and physical stress.
Last year, The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything revealed a major tipping point: Working women emerged as primary breadwinners for millions of households as their presence grew to comprise fully half of all workers. This new report makes it clear that women are in the midst of an even more far-reaching transformation in which they work, raise kids, care for the elderly, drive consumer decisions and may suffer emotional and physical stress because of it all.
The impact of Alzheimer’s is stunning on a broader scale as well. The economic cost, as the report shows, is now about $300 billion a year and could triple in coming decades. As Maria Shriver points out, with 78 million baby boomers now moving into their later years, the cost of Alzheimer’s to American society is expected to be $20 trillion between now and 2050. And while annual per-patient costs of Alzheimer’s is $56,800, the lion’s share of these costs, 60 percent, is borne by families.
What needs to be done?
While there’s hope and while many researchers are working together feverishly, there’s yet no cure or prevention for Alzheimer’s. A great deal of fear exists among rank-and-file Americans about developing the disease, and a strong sense pervades the public that not enough scientific progress is being made. Compared to how much progress people believe is being made in heart disease, cancer, diabetes and strokes, Americans rank Alzheimer’s dead last. So, while there’s a lot being done in clinics, research labs and the media to bring Alzheimer’s from the shadows to the news, what is not being done is—or should be—making changing the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease a true national priority
Government, business and the citizens themselves must prepare for a future in which Alzheimer’s looms larger in American life. Among the key questions that need to be asked and answered:
- How do we get to an appropriate level of public research funding for Alzheimer’s, given its high prevalence and cost, both of which are expected to soar?
- Is there a way to reduce the financial impact of the disease on families and society?
- How can we help millions of women caught between the dual demands of work and providing for a friend or relative with Alzheimer’s?
- How can average Americans prepare for the very real possibility of Alzheimer’s crashing into their lives? Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) say they haven’t considered their care options.
- How can government, business, nonprofits and the press effectively call attention to the threat and implement solutions?
In short, as a society we need to do a much better job of keeping pace with the stark realities of Alzheimer’s, especially the reality of the besieged American woman who is raising our next generation while caring for our last.