BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, with about 5.2 million people currently suffering from it. As the baby boomer generation ages, that figure is expected to reach 13.2 million in 50 years. AD is the most common form of dementia, but the disease affects more than just the diagnosed. It also affects the family members taking care of them.
AFFECTING MORE THAN JUST THE PATIENT: According to the Alzheimer's Association, roughly 10 million family members, friends and neighbors across the nation are providing unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. Last year, 8.4 billion hours were devoted to such care, estimated to be worth $89 billion.
Of all the unpaid caregivers in the United States, 29 percent are caring for a dementia patient. Compared to other caregivers, Alzheimer's caregivers provide more hours of help. One study revealed 40 percent of Alzheimer's caregivers performed care giving duties for more than 40 hours per week, compared to 28 percent of caregivers for other older individuals. The number of hours invested in a patient increases as the disease progresses or if the patient has a coexisting illness.
Most unpaid caregivers for an Alzheimer's or dementia patient are women. Wives, daughters, and other female relatives or friends represent 60 percent of Alzheimer's caregivers. The average age of a caregiver is 48 years old, but there are about 250,000 children ages eight to 18 caring for a person with AD or another form of dementia. A total of 1.4 million children in that age group in the United States are providing unpaid help for someone. Most of those children reside in the same home as the person they're caring for.
TAKING A TOLL: Along with memory, Alzheimer's and other dementias can affect a person's ability to communicate, orientation, personality, mood and behavior. This can make caretaking challenging. More than 40 percent of unpaid caregivers and family say they feel very highly emotionally stressed and about one-third experience symptoms of depression. One study found because of the stressful situation, 72 percent of family caregivers felt relief when the person they were assisting died. Unpaid caregivers are more likely to report that their health is in poor condition than non-caregivers. They are also more likely to have high levels of stress hormones, inhibited immune systems, slow wound healing, hypertension and coronary heart disease.
Caring for a loved one can also impact a person's employment. Some have to work fewer hours, while others need to quit thief jobs entirely. Around 57 percent of such caregivers work full or part time; two-thirds of which say they must go in late, leave early or take time off because of their caretaking responsibility. In the same study, 8 percent of caregivers declined promotions at work while 8 percent had to quit their jobs.
A new study at the University of Miami is connecting caregivers through a video phone. Counselors answer questions in one-on-one sessions and connect small groups of caregivers. The program is being offered in English and Spanish.
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