November 17, 2016
November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
Here are some facts about Alzheimer’s that you may find interesting:
- Over 5.4 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s
- It is the 6th leading cause of death in our country
- 1 out of 3 Seniors die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia
- It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer
- Every 66 seconds someone in the US gets the disease
- In 2015, 15 million caregivers provided 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care, costing $221.3 billion
- In 2016 to date, the disease cost $236 billion
- It is projected that by 2050, it will cost over $1 trillion
How does this affect the caregivers/families?
- Caring for loved ones with dementia usually takes over half of the caregiver’s time
- Caregivers work more hours and take on additional duties
- They go back to work (if retired) or postpone retirement to be able to afford for the care
- They spend well over $5,000 per year to care for dementia patients
- Some don’t take any vacations….some have no nights out….some go hungry
- Their social lives suffer due to the their love, dedication and commitment to their family member(s)
- Some suffer in silence, and live with these stresses each and every day
**Facts taken from alz.org and Department of Elder Affairs approved training curriculum
We can all make a change by going back to the basics. Be kind, be patient, live the Golden Rule. Understand that we don’t always know what people go through, and we each have a story.
Guardian Pharmacy supports this thought process. Our customers support this thought process. Please join me today in celebrating all those with Alzheimer’s disease, and those special few who choose to take care of them.
A special thank you goes to Brookdale Senior Living for being the 2016 Top Performer Sponsor Nationally, and donating over $1,998,786 to the Alzheimer’s Association to date.