Page 39 - Healthy Brain Initiative, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map
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COMPELLING DATA
» Twenty states are considered to be
systematic delivery of this service would likely improve neurology “deserts” due to a chronic
care and quality of life for people with dementia and shortage of neurologists and a rapid rise
their caregivers. in people with Alzheimer’s and other
dementias. 50
With the rapid rise in the age of the U.S. population,
more resources, training, and education will be vital for » Care and treatment for people with
equipping primary care physicians and caregivers to Alzheimer’s is expensive, partly because
of multiple chronic conditions. The
handle the projected gaps. • average per-person Medicare spending
on beneficiaries with dementia is
more than three times higher than for
beneficiaries without dementia. In 2018,
total Medicare costs for people with
dementia was an estimated $140 billion. 1
» Cardiovascular diseases are common
chronic conditions among people
with Alzheimer’s: 73% of people with
Alzheimer’s and other dementias have
hypertension, 38% have heart disease,
37% have diabetes, and 22% have had
a stroke. One small study found 29% of
1
people with diagnoses of dementia had
symptoms of depression. 51
» Current training does not adequately
prepare healthcare workers to deal
with the unique needs of those with
Alzheimer’s. As of 2015, only 23 states
required dementia training for staff of
nursing homes, and the majority of
states that did require training did so
only for personnel in Alzheimer’s special The Action Agenda
care units. Further, only 19 states
required dementia training for adult day
staff, and only 13 states required it for
licensed home health aides. 52 III.
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