1. ACT on Alzheimer’s Disease Curriculum
Module III: Societal Impact

2. Societal Impact
These slides are based on the Module III: Societal Impact text
Please refer to the text for all citations, references and acknowledgments

3. Module III: Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this module the student should:
Identify the challenges that families and caregivers experience when caring for someone who has dementia.
Gain insight into the cost, risks, and stressors that affect families and caregivers.
Be aware of the anticipated increase and impact Alzheimer’s disease will have in the future.

4. Societal Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease has a serious impact on many facets of society
The burden of Alzheimer’s disease has a profound impact on patients, families and caregivers
The disease jeopardizes the financial well-being of patients and families as well as puts strain on public budgets
Alzheimer’s disease has placed, and will continue to place, an increasing burden on the overall healthcare system

5. Impact on Families and Caregivers

6. Impact on Families and Caregivers
15 million Americans provide unpaid care to a person with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia
Unpaid caregivers are primarily family members
In 2014, these caregivers provided an estimated 18 billion hours of unpaid care at an estimated value of $217.7 billion

7. Impact on Families and Caregivers
Caring for a person with dementia poses special challenges
Caregivers experience high levels of stress and negative effects on their own health, employment and financial security
Caregivers are at a heightened risk for psychological and physical illness

8. Impact on Families and Caregivers
Frequent issues experienced by families and caregivers include:
Denial
Anger / Frustration
Guilt
Loss and Grief
Letting Go
Financial Stress
Role Reversals
Social Isolation

9. Impact on Families and Caregivers
Caregivers report high levels of stress over the course of providing care
61% rated the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high

10. Impact on Families and Caregivers
Caregivers are at risk for becoming “secondary patients”
The physical and emotional impact of dementia caregiving is estimated to result in $9.7 billion in health care costs in the United States
74% of caregivers reported that they were somewhat to very concerned about their own health while serving as a caregiver

11. Financial and Healthcare Impact

12. Financial and Healthcare Impact
As the population grows and ages, there is a growing need for healthcare workers
The United States will need another 3.5 million health care providers by 2030 to maintain the current ratio of provider coverage
The number of trained geriatricians is very low and the need is growing in the medical, nursing and social work fields

13. Financial and Healthcare Impact
People with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias have three times as many hospital stays as do others
Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s are more likely than those without to have other chronic medical conditions
As a result, the total health care costs of Alzheimer’s patients is higher than the costs of similar non-Alzheimer’s patients

14. Financial and Healthcare Impact
The high cost of long-term care is a challenge for Alzheimer’s patients and their families
58% of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease live in the community vs. 98% of older adults without Alzheimer’s
The high cost of long-term care services (assisted living $42k/year and nursing home $77-88k/year) causes patients to spend down their assets which ultimately leads them to become Medicaid beneficiaries

15. Financial and Healthcare Impact
Total payments for health care, long-term care and hospice for people with Alzheimer’s are projected to increase.
$226 billion in 2015
More than $1 trillion in 2050
The increase assumes a five-fold increase in government expenditures under Medicare and Medicaid and a nearly five-fold increase in personal out-of-pocket spending