Alzheimer's Cost
In the elderly, Alzheimer's disease is a devastating form of dementia. It is presently unknown what causes the condition and how it can be prevented at the current state of medical research While there are many hypotheses about what causes the disease and ways it might be prevented, none of them are proven.
In recent years, public awareness of Alzheimer's disease has risen, while research funding has decreased significantly." Not only does this affect the lives of those who are afflicted, but the enormous sums of money spent on long-term care and treatment make it a globally important issue. At a cost of billions of dollars, millions of people around the world are suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's. There doesn't appear to be a solution in sight, at any rate. However widely known Alzheimer's disease has become, it still lacks the research funds that would be needed to cure the condition. The Sydney Morning Herald's Scott Hannaford estimates that Alzheimer's Disease accounts for 60 percent of all instances of dementia in Australia, costing at least $4.9 billion annually in treatment and care. Alzheimer's disease testing available right now
Due to the high cost of conducting research, they appear to be losing financing. The expense of Alzheimer's care and treatment dwarfs the amount of dollars needed for research many times over, making it wise for governments in affluent countries to give up the funds needed for Alzheimer's research. To my mind, it would be more prudent to do so.
While Alzheimer's disease research funding is not at the top of the global priority list, it should be pursued now rather than causing such a burden on the economy. Considering the current state of affairs, this is to be expected. However, the $156 billion that is spent on therapy each year around the world is untenable from an economic sense. We can't keep ignoring the problem as we've done so far.
He points out some of the flaws in the U.S.'s approach to Alzheimer's disease in a recent piece written by John O'Connor. Dementia care expenses are expected to more than double by 2040 if the age-specific prevalence rate of the condition continues to rise as our population ages, according to an article in the journal Assisted Living. If Alzheimer's disease research does not obtain the financing it requires in the foreseeable future, the costs of care will keep rising, increasing the financial burden on the economy, as this statement demonstrates. Alzheimer's disease does not receive the attention and resources it requires to reduce the enormous amount of money spent annually on long-term care for persons with the disease. 'The majority of Americans' cost-burden for dementia is driven by long-term care.' — Regina A. Shih, lead author of the study cited in O'Connor Assisted Living (O'Connor) According to Karger, a medical and scientific publication site, 27.7 million individuals worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and 156 billion dollars is spent annually worldwide. A hundred percent accuracy is impossible, but these figures show that this disease is one of the most expensive medical conditions in existence today. "Economic Considerations in Developing Countries" points out in the United States, Alzheimer's disease is the third most expensive disease, accounting for almost a third of all health care costs. It's estimated to cost the United States $100 billion a year, with an estimated 4.5 million people being affected. As a result of a higher awareness and increasing number of diagnoses in the United States, this statistic represents a stunning two-thirds of the worldwide cost.
As a result of their deteriorating physical and mental health, many seniors are losing their independence due to this condition.
Quality of life, but it's also a huge drain on not only the American economy, but the global economy as a whole. Many journalists and researchers have acknowledged this phenomenon, yet little is being done to address it. This may be because of the even after more than 30 years of research into Alzheimer's, there has been only a little amount of progress in the development of an effective treatment. As a first step in discovering a solution, the scientific and medical community is aware of how expensive treatment and care may be Dementia and Alzheimer's disease have received only a little amount of funding for study. If this awful disease affects so many elderly people around the world.
Why hasn't there been any advancement? It's possible that the reason for this is because the treatment and care for these disorders generates a lot of money, and that it would be a lot less profitable if it were healed.
A drop in income would occur. However, that's a whole other ball game. My preference is that the real explanation is substantially less sinister than I've previously thought. Although initiatives and trials have been carried out, there have been so few improvements that the billions necessary for research are difficult to justify.
An example of one of these initiatives started in 2010 is the National Alzheimer's Project Act, according to freelance journalist Beth Baker. "Implement a national strategy to battle disease and improve assistance for patients and families," was the stated purpose of this legislation. Because of the enormous sums spent on long-term care, Congress felt compelled to pass this bill. There's a lot of money invested each year, and scientists and policymakers are eager to find a solution because of this, Baker notes. (Baker) Dementia patients' long-term and hospice care was estimated to cost $172 million in 2010," Baker continues billion, of which Medicare and Medicaid have spent a combined $123 billion." It is predicted that 13.5 million individuals would be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease by the year 2050, and that $1 trillion will be spent on care expenditures yearly, according to the Alzheimer's Organization. (Baker) Because of this, the scientific and medical sectors are experiencing a rapid economic downturn, which is understandable. Alzheimer's, according to Adriel Bettelheim of the CQ Researcher, still suffers from the perception that it is an elderly person's condition. "Even former President Ronald Reagan's 1994 statement that he was resigning" is an example of this claim of cause, according to Bettelheim.
"A torrent of new money for discovering a cure wasn't prompted by the disease in its early stages."
As a result, according to Bettelheim, society's apathy toward this condition may have something to do with it. Cancer, for example, is a far more prevalent and heinous disease, thus some argue that the research dollars it requires are not justified.
Many people believe that even if Alzheimer's can be cured, the elderly will only have a few more years to live, regardless of whether or not they are diagnosed with the disease. (Bettelheim Alzheimer's disease has yet to be halted or reversed, according to Sharon Wallace Stark, Ph.D., a leading Alzheimer's disease researcher, and this may be a contributing factor in the apparent indifference to research funding. Various medications have been developed to delay the progression of the disease, but they are similarly ineffectual at stopping its growth (Stark). According to Stark, the Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Initiative of the National Institutes of Health aims to "increase the rate of new drug discovery and development." There is also a "national organization that provides patient advocacy and financing for study of potential new medicines," "The Alzheimer's Association." (Stark) Although no cure or treatment for Alzheimer's disease has been discovered, several theories exist about how the disease develops and what can be done to prevent it. None of these theories, however, are conclusive. However, the reason for the enormous sums of money spent on treating those who have been diagnosed is readily apparent. a sum of money sufficient to striking the right balance between cost and quality of life for those who suffer from mental illness is a huge burden on both Medicare and Medicaid. Because of this economic situation, Alzheimer's disease will continue to be an increasing problem for society.
Clearly, Alzheimer's disease is a wicked condition that costs the globe billions of dollars every year because of the high treatment and care expenditures. Public and private awareness of Alzheimer's disease has increased significantly over the years, thanks in part to groups like the Alzheimer's Association, but awareness alone will only get you so far. This drag on the economy and health care system must be addressed now that we have a better understanding of the problem and what is generating it. What can be done to address this problem, which affects industrialized countries all around the world? In order to make progress, what policy adjustments are necessary? Health and Wellness Resource Center's database states that a few Alzheimer's disease patients in the United States have been subjected to a series of policy shifts since 2001. (Gale Cengage Learning)... "The White House has quietly granted Medicare coverage for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," the item claims (AD). The "Policies changed late last year prohibit Medicare beneficiaries with diseases from having their mental health care, hospice, or home healthcare charges denied reimbursement.'"" the Alzheimer's Disease Treatment Program in the Medicare Program has been authorized It was because doctors and other licensed parties pushed for this policy change that they made this modification.
Patients can profit from medical services when they can be diagnosed early on in the disease's progression by doctors in the medical community.
"Medicare Coverage for Alzheimer's Disease" was approved by the government. As a result of this crucial step as a result of this, we should expect to see even more positive policy changes in the future.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, research funding is the most important policy change that has to be achieved (Alz.org). Congress must be convinced that Alzheimer's disease is underfunded and needs more attention.
The Association wants to educate individuals who have the authority and influence to bring about these changes (alz.org). The Alzheimer's Association is working to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's research. The publication of an annual update of statistics on Alzheimer's disease to demonstrate the urgency of this issue should hasten the implementation of new policies (alz.org).
The Association is campaigning for a number of legislative ideas, including the The National Alzheimer's Project, the HOPE for Alzheimer's Act, and the Alzheimer's Accountability Act (alz.org). It is a nonpartisan effort to ensure that Congress is armed with the greatest possible information to set financial priorities and attain the desired outcomes...." preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease successfully by 2025 is the goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease (alz.org). The Association is convinced that it can accomplish this arduous task. Alzheimer's patients and their loved ones will benefit from the HOPE (Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education) for Alzheimer's Act because of its mandate that a diagnosis of the disease be entered into a patient's medical record, as well as because it will provide them with better information and services (alz.org). It has also recently implemented legislation signed by President Obama, which was passed unanimously by Congress and enacted because of the significant burden on the healthcare and federal budgets caused by Alzheimer's disease (alz.org). According to Alzheimer's Association, "Now, the Secretary of Health and Human Services" In a way that addresses the federal government's efforts in Alzheimer's research, care, and institutional services completely and quickly execute this law and community- and home-based initiatives (alz.org). We have taken a significant step forward in our efforts to bring down the astronomical costs of patient care and treatment. The National Alzheimer's Project Act is a welcome starting step, but its scope and funding remain limited, writes David Hoffman, Bureau Director for the New York State Department of Health (Hoffman). To make this policy shift as effective as possible, Hoffman argues that states must work together, coordinate, and communicate with one another (Hoffman). In response to Hoffman's call for greater effort, 33 states have already convened advisory groups and published their own plans for coordinating state-level activity to address Alzheimer's disease across service systems. The majority of the United States has already begun to respond to this call (Hoffman). The hope for a cure or preventative treatment should be maintained, but Hoffman believes that as we seek to find a solution, we must remember the scope of the problem.
In the end, even though there have been some good policy changes, we must continue to treat Alzheimer's as the bad, expensive, and emotionally damaging disease that it is. To find a way to get rid of this heavy financial burden on our country and the world in general, we need to make more changes to how we fund research. As the large baby boomer generation continues to age, this financial drain will only get worse and worse (alz.org). Basically, more policy changes need to be made, and the ones that have already been made need to be put into place in the best way possible best way you can.
