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Alzheimer�s disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, and the most common form of dementia. Some things you should know about Alzheimer�s disease:
- Approximately 4 million Americans have AD. In a 1993 national survey, 19 million Americans said they had a family members with AD, and 37 million said they knew someone with AD.
- 14 million Americans will have AD by the middle of the next century unless a cure or prevention is found.
- One in 10 persons over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 have AD. A small percentage of people as young as their 30�s and 40�s get the disease.
- A person with AD will live and average of eight years and as many as 20 years or more from the onset of symptoms.
- U.S. society spends at least $100 billion a year on AD. Neither Medicare nor most private health insurance covers the long term care most patients need.
- More than 7 of 10 people with Alzheimer�s disease live at home. Almost 75% of the home care is provided by family and friends. The remainder is "paid" care costing an average of $12,500 per year. Families pay almost all of that out-of-pocket.
- Half of all nursing home residents suffer from AD or a related disorder. The average cost for nursing home care is $42,000 per year but can exceed $70,000 per year in some areas of the country.
- The average lifetime cost per patient is $174,000.
- Alzheimer�s disease is the third most expensive disease in the United States, after heart disease and cancer.
- The federal government will spend approximately $309 million for Alzheimer disease research in 1996. This represents $1 for every $324 the disease now costs society. The federal investment in heart disease, cancer, and AIDS is four to seven times higher.
The Alzheimer�s Association is the only national voluntary health organization dedicated to research for the causes, cures, treatments and preventions of Alzheimer�s disease and to providing education and support services to Alzheimer patients, their families and caregivers.
For further information on statistics, please contact the Benjamin B. Green-Field Library at the Alzheimer�s Association at (312)335-9602.
�9/1996 IRS 230Z
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Last updated: June 17, 1997
Please return to https://www.alz-nova.org or
call 800-207-8679 or (703) 359-4440
for more information about services in Northern Virginia.
© 1997 - 2000 Alzheimer's Association, Northern Virginia Chapter. All rights reserved.
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