If you’re a family caregiver, the holidays can be difficult.
Nearly seven million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s, a number that is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. Alliance for Aging Research President Sue Pescian says around the holidays, this becomes stressful for family caretakers and it’s not getting any better.
“We really need to start having more open discussions about planning in our country about long-term care planning, support planning, looking at programs like Medicare that are supposed to be available for folks when they need it and making sure that there’s adequate coverage and reimbursement for potential treatments,” Pescian said.
Health and long-term care for people with dementia are costing the U.S. an estimated $360 billion this year, and that number is growing.
