Report on Dementia in USA
Scope of the Problem:
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease
- The rate of occurrence of cognitive impairment among the older population increased over the past decade. There were 8.9 million informal caregivers providing care to someone aged over fifty years old with dementia.
- Almost 79% of those who need long term care live at home or in community settings, rather than in institutions.
- From 2000 to 2002, the amount of licensed assisted living and adult home facilities increased from 32,886 to 36,399 nationally. This reflects a trend towards community-based care instead of nursing homes.
- Most assisted living facilities are unlicensed.Most will discharge residents when they become too burdensome for them. This hampers the ability of these individuals to find appropriate services outside of nursing homes or other institutions. In 2002, there were 1,458,000 people in nursing homes nationally.
- Estimated public and private spending on long-term care services exceeded $180 billion in 2002. $37.2 billion, or 21%, was paid for out-of-pocket by individuals and families.
- In 2002, $103.2 billion dollars were spent on nursing home care compared to $36.1 billion dollars for care in the community.
- In 2000, the estimated economic value of informal (i.e., unpaid) care giving is more than both community care and nursing home care combined—$257 billion.
- Expenditures for skilled nursing facility (SNF) care are much greater than care provided in other settings. Average expenses per older adult in a skilled nursing facility can be four times greater than average expenditures for that individual receiving paid care in the community.
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