Societal costs of Alzheimer’s Disease
- In 2021, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) was the fifth-leading cause of death among people age 65 and older.
- National healthcare costs for people with dementia are projected to reach $360 billion in 2024 and nearly $1 trillion in 2050.
Caregiver costs of Alzheimer’s Disease
- In 2023, 11.5 million caregivers of people living with AD or other dementias provided an estimated 18.4 billion hours of unpaid help.
- 31 hours of care per caregiver per week or 1,612 hours per caregiver per year.
- Caregiver burden (the emotional or physical, social, or financial status to be affected by their caring for an impaired relative) can be staggering
Stressful Factors impacting caregivers, professional or family
- Coordination of care (reported by 70% of caregivers)
- Navigating healthcare (reported by 53% of caregivers)
- Patient behavior: Wandering, emotional outbursts, and inappropriate behavior
Expressions of stress in caregivers
- Emotional reactions: Caregivers may cry at easily, feel irritable, or have moodiness.
- Lack of concentration: Caregivers may have trouble focusing or completing complex tasks.
- Health problems: Caregivers may experience weight loss or gain, get sick more frequently, or develop health conditions more frequently.
- Economic impact: To be able to care for the dementia patients, caregivers may have to quit a job, take a leave of absence, or turn down promotions.
BeCare Neuro App Can Help
There are new effective ways to detect AD earlier and begin new therapies that can help stop AD in its tract or slow progression. These therapies are most effective when started early in the disease, even when the process has started but there are no outward clinical signs. BeCare Neuro App can help detect the earliest signs of neurologic dysfunction that can help direct you when you need to seek formal evaluation and get started on these lifesaving drugs sooner.