The Healthcare Epidemic of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is a subset of dementia, which is classified by issues with memory function, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common cause of dementia in the United States, with cases of the disease continuing to grow exponentially as time goes on. Currently, there are over five and a half million Americans with Alzheimer's Disease, and it appears that these numbers will worsen in the coming decades. The disease is known to make patients experience progressively worsening memory function, which often inevitably leads to their inability to function socially and occupationally in old age.

The disease imposes a significant burden on its patients' caregivers and healthcare providers.

Dementia in Alzheimer's Disease is the third most costly disease in the United States, with costs exceeding $100 billion dollars annually (Dharmarajan, 2009). In 2018, Alzheimer's and other dementias are projected to cost the United States over $277 billion dollars (Actionalz, 2018). Alzheimer's Disease is also the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Actionalz, 2018). The average annual cost of caring for a patient with Alzheimer's Disease is roughly $42,049 for an institutionalized patient and roughly $12,572 for patients cared for in the community (Dharmarajan, 2009). On top of this paid care, it is estimated that 16.1 million caregivers provide unpaid care to Alzheimer's patients valued at over $232 billion dollars (Actionalz, 2018). With the cost of care already high and the forecast of exponential growth of patients with Alzheimer's Disease, it is crucial that the healthcare system creates a plan to provide care for these patients in an economically efficient way.

One way to provide care in an economically efficient way is to offer early and accurate diagnoses to patients. It is projected that efforts towards making this a reality could save the nation upwards of $7.9 trillion dollars (Actionalz, 2018). This can be achieved firstly by educating the public about the early symptoms of Alzheimer's and encouraging them to schedule an appointment with their doctor for a screening. Secondly, it can be attained by structuring healthcare plans in a way that makes brain scans more accessible and less intimidating to patients' finances. Most importantly, it can be realized by simplifying doctor visits, reducing co-pays, medical bills, and other financial stressors involved with getting medical help.

Generally, healthcare providers typically don't look for Alzheimer's disease in younger people. This allows the disease to develop in the shadows, creating an immense physical, mental, and financial burden on the patient. While keeping these financial numbers in mind, it is vital that changes are made in our healthcare system to lessen the financial burden of this disease on our country. It seems as though growing Alzheimer's patient numbers are inevitable, as are the costs associated with those patients. This can be accomplished by reducing the cost of care for a patient who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease late in life and lowering the cost of obtaining a diagnosis early in the disease's development. Without implementing concrete changes to the healthcare system, we should expect to spend an incredibly inefficient amount of money to care for our citizens with Alzheimer's Diseases.

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