Mary Ann Malack-Ragona Comments on Rising Costs of Caring for Those with Dementia

Bay Shore, NY — Mary Ann Malack-Ragona, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, Inc.(ADRC), says that the costs associated with caring for those with dementia will grow exponentially and will burden both families and the healthcare system. She also urged the federal government to find a cure for dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease as soon as possible.

Economic researchers at the RAND Corporation found estimates that the total costs of dementia will more than double from a range from $159 billion to $215 billion in 2010 to a range of $379 billion to $511 billion by 2040. The RAND study also shows that 15% of people aged 71 or older — approximately 3.8 million people — have dementia. By 2040, that number will grow exponentially to 9.1 million people.

According to the RAND Corporation, direct health care expenses for dementia in 2010 were $109 billion, outpacing heart disease ($102 billion) and cancer ($77 billion). Informal care for dementia — that is, care usually provided by family members at home or a professional caregiver paid by the family — ranged between $50 billion and $106 billion.

“As the baby boomer population gets older, more and more of them will develop some form of cognitive impairment,” Ms. Malack-Ragona said. “As a result, this will place a tremendous financial burden on their adult children, who will either have to use their income to pay for care or leave their jobs to care for their parents full time.”

On April 3, President Barack Obama announced that he will spend $100 million on a brain mapping initiative involving research by the National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation. This research will look into the treatment and prevention of brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias.

“I applaud the president for his forward-thinking approach to treat Alzheimer’s Disease,” Ms. Malack-Ragona said. “I urge the federal government to move on this research swiftly so that we can find a cure as soon as possible. Once we find a cure for Alzheimer’s and other dementias, senior citizens will be able to maintain a better quality of life as they get older and healthcare costs will be greatly reduced.”

For more information, call Mary Ann Malack-Ragona, Executive Director/CEO, at (631) 820-8068 or visit www.adrcinc.org.