by Connie McMullen
Alzheimer's Disease Likely To Affect 18 Percent of Baby Boomers, Cost Health Care System $160 Billion by 2010
California First Lady Maria Shriver was in Washington in March to testify before the Senate Special Committee on Aging to bring attention to Alzheimer's disease. Shriver’s father, Sargent Shriver, has been suffering from the disease since 2005. She spoke to highlight awareness and promote her new HBO film series on the subject.
First Lady Maria Shriver
In emotional testimony, Shriver told the committee her father no longer recognized her. Sargent Shriver married Eunice Kennedy, was a special assistant to former President Lyndon Johnson and served as the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee in 1972.
Shriver testified alongside former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - whose husband has long suffered from Alzheimer's - and former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.). All are part of the Alzheimer Study Group, which is presenting a special report to Congress.
Shriver also serves as executive producer for HBO's The Alzheimer's Project, which will include a series of films. The first 30-minute HBO documentary titled, “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” premiering on May 10, centers on young children, ages 5 to 14, who are dealing with watching grandparents vanish into the thrall of the disease.
Its been estimated bout 14 million baby boomers, or 18 percent, likely will develop Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia, a development that could cost the U.S. health care system as much as $160 billion by 2010, according to a report released by the Alzheimer's Association.
The report, "2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts & Figures," states that without a cure, the U.S. will have about 500,000 new cases of Alzheimer's in 2010, and almost one million new cases by the middle of the century. Additionally of concern, the report says “one in six women and one in 10 men who live to be at least age 55, will develop Alzheimer's disease in their remaining lifetime.
Higher proportions, one in five women and one in seven men who reach age 55, will develop any dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.” The risk is higher for women as on average they live longer than men.
Implications for Baby Boomers
Sargent Shriver
Baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 will feel impacts stemming from Alzheimer's disease whether caregiving an aging parent, or loved one. In 2008, the oldest baby boomers born in 1946 will be turning 62; the youngest age 44.
Dr. Upinder Singh, a clinical associate professor for the University of Nevada Las Vegas, School of Medicine, testified before the Nevada Legislative Interim Study of Senior Citizens and Veterans on mental health issues. “There are 5.5 million people in America with Alzheimer's disease. It is a very, very prevalent disease,” he said. “The number is only going to increase by three times in the next 20- 30 years.” Dr. Singh says every week in Las Vegas there is someone found driving on the wrong side of the street. “It causes people to do very strange things.” Dr. Singh said not only is the community effected, but the whole family caring for one with Alzheimer's is effected.
In 2005, Medicare spent $91 billion on treatments for Alzheimer's and other dementia, and the program likely will spend $160 billion on such treatments by 2010 and $189 billion by 2015. According to the report, 70 percent of Alzheimer's and other dementia patients lived at home, where friends and family members provided care. Almost 10 million U.S. residents ages 18 and older provided about $89 billion in 8.4 billion hours of unpaid care to Alzheimer's patients in 2007, the report said.
“We can hide from it, ignore it, but these problems are not going away,” said Dr. Singh. “We're going to have no place to hide.” Nevada ranked 50th in the U.S. in mental health services. “I think we can do better than that,” he said. “The opportunity to address such critical issues is before us. The time to act is now.”