$360 billion: New report reveals the seen and unseen costs of Alzheimer's disease
A new report sheds light on the prevalence, impact and cost of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia -- not only on people living with it but also on their caregivers.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A new report sheds light on the prevalence, impact and cost of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia -- not only on people living with it but also on their caregivers.
According to the Facts and Figures report released Wednesday by the Alzheimer's Association, the cost of caring for people living with these diseases is projected to reach $360 billion in 2024, which is a $15 billion increase from the year prior. However, that statistic does not include unpaid care provided by family caregivers and friends.
In 2023, the report shows more than one million family members and friends acted as caregivers in Texas, providing unpaid care valued at $23.9 billion dollars.
This year's report -- plus an additional, special report focused on navigating the systems of care -- reveals some of the unseen costs and challenges of caring for a person with Alzheimer's or dementia.
For example, the vast majority of caregivers surveyed said that coordinating care was stressful, and 66% of them reported having difficulty finding resources and support for their needs.
The reports also show dementia caregivers have higher rates of chronic conditions, such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer compared to caregivers of people without dementia or non-caregivers. Depression was more prevalent, too. In Texas, 59% of surveyed caregivers reported at least one chronic condition and 26.7% reported depression.
“The big takeaway from this year’s special report is that dementia caregivers want and need help navigating the complex health care system and accessing community-based services,” said Andrea Taurins, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Capital of Texas Chapter. “Given the added complexities of dementia care, we hope our report will encourage health systems and practices to think more intentionally about the challenges facing dementia caregivers and formalize dementia care navigation programs to help them.”
KXAN investigators previously dug into how memory care facilities are marketed and a new law aimed at making these decisions more clear for families and caregivers.
Of the roughly 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older living with dementia, nearly 460,000 live in Texas, according to the report.
“As the number of individuals living with Alzheimer’s continues to grow, ensuring patients, their caregivers and families have a clear understanding of how to navigate dementia care resources is critical to improving health outcomes," said Taurins.
KXAN's Avery Travis will have more on the report tonight at 10 p.m.