Philadelphia, Pa….the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter officially announced the sharp increase in the number of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) during the Chapter’s Memory Walk Kick-off Thursday, July 27th. The event will took place from 6-8 pm at World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
During the 18th Annual Public Policy Forum in June, the Alzheimer’s Association released a report entitled, “A Hidden Generation of Dementia: A National Challenge, A Future Crisis.” The report indicated there could be as many as 640,000 in the US who have early onset Alzheimer’s disease (cases that occur before the age 65).
For those residing in the Delaware Valley, that means an additional 26,000 individuals with early onset dementia have now been added to the demographic, bringing the total to a staggering 294,000 with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or a related dementia who reside in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey.
Current public policies do not address the unique needs of those with early onset because their condition is difficult to diagnose. Most of the early onset patients do not know that they may qualify for existing public and private financial assistance programs (such as SSI or SSDI). As diagnostics improve and awareness increases, more people will be diagnosed with AD at younger ages.
AD is no longer a disease of the elderly. Persons can be diagnosed in their 40s and 50s, even as young as their 30s.
Today, AD alone affects 4.5 million people nationwide over age 65 and over 500,000 under 65. As baby boomers age, that number could increase to as many as 16 million people by 2050. Not only is Alzheimer’s devastating for those afflicted and their families, but it also threatens to overwhelm the nation’s economy and bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid.
Studies demonstrate very clearly that by slowing the onset of Alzheimer's disease and by minimizing the effects of the disease, research could save lives and billions of tax dollars in Medicare and Medicaid payments in the near future.
Ironically, just as the numbers of those with Alzheimer’s is increasing and promising research treatments are emerging, the Federal budget for Alzheimer’s disease research has been slashed. The president’s 2007 Federal budget request cuts National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding from $652 to $645 million.
Memory Walk is the largest signature fundraiser for Alzheimer’s disease. President Wendy L. Campbell states that “the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter hopes to raise $1 million to fund programs and services to help those affected in the Delaware Valley. The Chapter will host five regional walks in Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware this September and October with an expected attendance of 10,000.”
