Beth Kallmyer says that major diseases death rate is going down for example in HIV\/AIDS due to the federal government research, investment and commitment which has not been the same with Alzheimer\u2019s. People with advanced form of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s have memory losses, problems with communication, loss of mobility and problems with consistence thus they need care which in turn is not cheap at all.<\/p>\n
A report released by Constituent services for the Alzheimer\u2019s Association on Tuesday 19 March 2013 shows that the rate of deaths from the Alzheimer\u2019s, dementia and dementia related causes between 2000 and 2010 has risen by 68 percent.<\/p>\n
The report also shaded light on the effects of the disease on the loved ones of the patient, particularly those giving care from a distance.\u00a0 It showed that in 2012 there were more than 15 million Alzheimer\u2019s caregivers who provided more than 17 billion hours of unpaid care. The Alzheimer\u2019s group estimated the value of this care at 216 billion dollars.<\/p>\n
For direct out of pocket families \u2018the cost of care is a challenge, and not everyone has access to the services they need\u2019 Beth Kallmyer says. It costs those paying directly from their pockets around 34 billion dollars annually for them to receive services they need.<\/p>\n
Some care givers live far from their sick relatives. This is around 15 percent of Alzheimer\u2019s caregivers. The distance adds emotional, physical and financial strain to the caregivers. This in turn doubles the expenses needed to care for their loved one. According to the report, a caregiver who is far away incurs around 10,000 dollars in expenses compared to a local caregiver who incurs around 5000 dollars to take care of their loved one.<\/p>\n
What is more disconcerting is the fact that the Alzheimer\u2019s Association estimates that by 2050 nearly 14 million people will have the disease which in turn drives the costs for care to 1.2 trillion dollars. The U.S government offers 4 billion dollars to heart research, 6 billion dollars to cancer research but offers 500 million dollars only to Alzheimer\u2019s research.<\/p>\n
A physician from Center of Brain health from the Cleveland clinic, Dr. Brian Appleby, says it is a chronic illness which starts years before it is discovered, so the best action of prevention from this disease is eating healthy foods, healthy living and getting regular exercise. Physicians emphasize that Alzheimer\u2019s is a public health crisis that is real.<\/p>\n