• by Melynda Fuller , May 31, 2018

Healthline Media, a consumer-health information site that counts over 39 million monthly visitors, according to comScore, released the fourth in its “State of” series, “State of Caregiving for Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia 2018.”

The report features original reporting, expert interviews and the results of a survey of 384 unpaid Alzheimer’s disease and dementia caregivers across generations.

The “State of Caregiving for Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia 2018” offers valuable insight into the financial and emotional tolls taken on caregivers, focusing on health, career and finances.

The package is meant to offer opportunities for tools, resources and technologies that can best help caregivers manage in their role more easily. 

Some of the key findings: 71% of caregivers are female and 72% of caregivers report their own health has suffered since becoming a caregiver. Some 50% of caregivers have seen a negative impact on their career and finances because of caregiving responsibilities.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are currently 5.7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s; one in 10 over the age of 65 is living with the disease. Two-thirds of sufferers are women.

The disease is the costliest in the U.S. with more than $270 billion going toward annual treatments.

These numbers, however, don’t take into consideration the toll on caregivers.

The report also reveals preventative measures caregivers said they would take to avoid Alzheimer’s or related dementia following first-hand experiences with the disease. Nearly two-thirds of caregivers surveyed stated they would take medication to delay the onset of memory loss even by six months, if affordable and free of side effects.

A staggering 64% of those surveyed have already made lifestyle modification to avoid memory loss, including the introduction of new diet and exercise protocols.

Tracy Stickler, Editor in Chief, Healthline, stated: “The latest “State of…” report helps deepen our understanding of the evolving needs of the caregiver so we can create content and programs to better support them in making critical decisions.”