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A report released by the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter today reveals that 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and that someone develops the disease every 70 seconds. The 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures Report also shows that healthcare costs are, on average, three times as higher for those 65 years old and older with Alzheimer’s than those who do not have the disease.

In conjunction with the report, the Central New York Chapter released its newest population estimates for its 14-county region. The chapter estimates that there are 45,221 individuals in Central New York living with Alzheimer’s. With an average of three people — both unpaid family members or friends and paid professionals — providing direct care to each person with Alzheimer’s disease, there are now in excess of 135,600 Central New Yorkers providing Alzheimer’s disease care. This represents a 24 percent growth since the year 2000.

alzcny.org/news is your home for news about the Facts & Figures Report. In addition to the press release below, we also have links to:

• The complete 2009 Facts & Figures Report
• Central New York Alzheimer’s Disease Statistics

Also, stay tuned for updates and links to media appearances as the day goes on. The full press release appears after the jump.

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New Report Says Healthcare Costs for Americans Over 65 Triple Due to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
New Population Estimates Show 5.3 Million Americans, 45,000+ Central New Yorkers Have AD

 

A new report by the Alzheimer’s Association reveals that healthcare costs are three times higher for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia compared to those who do not have a dementing illness. The 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report, released on March 24, also shows there are 5.3 million Americans living with the disease, with more than 45,000 living here in Central New York.

“With an aging baby boomer population and the country facing unprecedented economic challenges, it is essential that the Alzheimer’s crisis be dealt with,” Catherine James, chief executive officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter, said. “Every effort must be made to address this disease now.”

Total healthcare costs are calculated as per-person payments from all sources. Medicare payments alone are almost three times higher for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia than for others over age 65; Medicaid payments are more than nine times higher. Alzheimer’s disease represents a burden of nearly $184 billion to the public health care system. Medicare pays approximately $160 billion in benefits, while long-term care costs to Medicaid tally $24 billion.

Average Per Person Payments for Persons, Aged 65 Years and Older, With and Without
Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias (Average Per Person Payment)

	Beneficiaries with no AD	Beneficiaries with AD
Total payments*	$10,603	$33,007
Medicare payments	$5,272	$15,145
Medicaid payments	$718	$6,605
Private insurance payments	$1,466	$1,847
Other sources payments	$211	$519
HMO payments	$704	$410
Out-of-pocket payments	$1,916	$2,464
Uncompensated care	$201	$261

Payments by source do not exactly equal total payments due to the effect of population weighting.

 

STATISTICAL GROWTH
According to the report, the number of people nationwide with Alzheimer’s rose by 100,000 people since last year. As a result, every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s. By mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds.

The Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter estimates that 45,221 people in its 14-county region have Alzheimer’s, a total which has grown 24.09 percent since 2000. Onondaga County has the area’s largest number of people with the disease, with more than 11,700. This represents a 30.27 percent growth since 2000. Oneida County’s Alzheimer’s population has grown by 36.56 percent, making it the largest growing area in the chapter’s territory.

Estimated Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease (Based on 2007 Census Projections)

County	2007	% Change 2000-2007
Broome	6,276	22.72%
Cayuga	2,258	35.12%
Chenango	1,459	35.21%
Cortland	1,144	21.96%
Herkimer	1,946	36.08%
Jefferson	2,490	21.58%
Lewis	687	33.14%
Madison	1,643	26.77%
Oneida	7,273	36.56%
Onondaga	11,707	30.27%
Oswego	2,592	20.27%
St. Lawrence	2,637	25.63%
Tioga	1,245	-39.12%
Tompkins	1,864	7.25%
Total	45,221	24.09%

 

With family members providing care at home for about 70 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the ripple effects of Alzheimer’s disease are felt throughout the entire family unit. According to Facts and Figures, in 2008, nearly 10 million Alzheimer caregivers in the U.S. provided 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $94 billion. In New York State alone, there were 651,705 caregivers, providing more than 562 million hours of unpaid care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another dementia valued at $6.24 billion dollars.

“This year’s Facts and Figures which details the significant costs of Alzheimer’s and its growing prevalence, underscore the need for an Alzheimer State Plan,” James said. “This is why the work of the state’s Alzheimer’s Disease Coordinated Care Council is so important.” James is a member of the council developing the care plan, which will be released this summer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR STATES
Alzheimer’s is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing diabetes. The latest available data shows that there were 2,065 deaths from Alzheimer’s in New York. As deaths from other chronic conditions like heart disease and stroke continue to fall, more New Yorkers will live long enough to develop Alzheimer’s disease with profound effects on families and state budgets. These facts were derived from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual state public health survey conducted by the New York State Department of Health in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).