Medical experts believe that many countries around the world are not able to handle existing cases of dementia, predicting an epidemic of memory loss cases in the next 35 years.
How bad is the situation in Northern Michigan and across the United States?
Currently, more than five million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other form of cognitive memory loss or dementia each year. Experts say these numbers will nearly triple in the next quarter century in the United States alone.
Around the globe, a total of 44 million are affected by some type of dementia, which is predicted to skyrocket to around 135 million by 2050.
In Northern Michigan, the demand for Petoskey and Traverse City home care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients is significant. Comfort Keepers offers specially-trained caregivers to help families with their loved ones requiring dementia care at home.
Is this better or worse than in previous years? Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) states that the global increase jumped almost 20 percent from 2010 to this year. ADI cautions that in the future, nearly three-quarters of those living with dementia will be in poor locations around the world.
What do experts hope to see? First and foremost, ADI says that since we know all countries will be faced with greater numbers of elderly citizens in the years ahead, many of whom will face living with cognitive memory loss, the World Health Organization should make dementia a priority.
ADI calls dementia a global epidemic, yet there is not yet a cure for Alzheimer’s. According to the most recent numbers in a policy report, only 13 countries have done national dementia strategic planning. Without systems to provide social protection and support, as well as appropriate health care, what will happen to those living with dementia?
Researchers and advocates in the field successfully pushed for Group of Eight (G8) industrialized countries to join a special summit on dementia last December. The hope is that if leaders from industrialized nations push for better funding of dementia research and raise its profile, political advances could be made in terms of medications and therapies.
Interested to learn more about dementia services for Petoskey and Traverse City home care? Contact Comfort Keepers to find out more about Alzheimer’s and dementia care at home for daily living as little as a few hours a week, full time or for respite care.