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Progressive Growth of Alzheimer's Disease Around the World Puts Increasing Pressure on Social Services of Countries
from: Pat MoauroAlzheimer's disease is a frightening illness. It's incurable, and it slowly, gradually, and unstoppably ravages a patient's ability to communicate, remember events, function in society, or simply make sound judgments. As a result, the patient will be dependent on loved ones gradually to take care of her or him. Eventually a long term care facility with a trained staff may need to oversee the person's care until the end of his or her life.
Statistics about this illness abound. Here are a few from the United States:
The August 2003 issue of the Archives of Neurology estimated that more than 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease -- double the number since 1980.
A 1992 Gallup survey of 1,015 Americans revealed that one in ten had an immediate family member who suffers from the disease while at least one in three had a friend or acquaintance with this illness.
In 1989, the Annals of Neurology reported that individuals in their late thirties or early forties can be affected by this disease in the form of an inherited kind of Alzheimer's disease.
In 1989, JAMA reported that one in ten Americans over the age of sixty-five, and at least half of Americans aged eighty-five and older were affected by the disease.
These are sobering statistics, yet one wonders how they compare with those around the world. The United States Census Bureau has released its 2004 research figures, and according to its data, Alzheimer's disease is rapidly progressing throughout the world.
Central America, as defined by the populations of Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua, show almost 293,000 cases of Alzheimer's disease.
Another 4.5 million individuals in the South American cities of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela, were affected by this illness.
Australia reports nearly 293,000 cases.
China has nearly nineteen million patients who have been diagnosed as suffering with Alzheimer's disease.
The international urbanization of previously small communities in the developing third world countries has led to an increase in elderly people living alone, oftentimes away from the safety net of younger family members on whom they may have relied in the past for care giving.
This trend will eventually add an unusual strain on the economies of countries, since such a suddenly large number of individuals will require intensive medical care while nobody is left or willing to pay for it. A deeply disturbing finding was reported in a 1996 issue of Psychological Medicine. In such developing countries elderly patients who suffered from dementia may have been permitted to die prematurely through the withholding of adequate care.
It's apparent that aging gracefully for many is a myth. It's equally obvious that Alzheimer's disease is a serious threat to the overall well being of the geriatric populations around the world. Many countries have awakened to the fact that the elderly live longer, in part because medicine has evolved in leaps and bounds, and diseases are being cured or prevented altogether.
Caregivers are becoming scarcer than before, since previously the tight-knit family unit would take care of its own members. Due to sprawling cities and job opportunities in distant locations, the young and restless have moved on, leaving behind the elderly. When these elderly fall ill, it's often impossible or unfeasible to recreate the family units. Therefore private nursing homes are often called upon to provide the daily care of those who can no longer care for themselves.
Public nursing care is often the only alternative for those whose health insurance plans don't cover such facilities, and whose savings are too meager to supplement any government assistance they may be receiving. Sadly, soon these institutions will face the threat of being overrun with those in need of care, and it's questionable whether supply will be able to keep up with the demand.
Countries must quickly and decisively take far-reaching measures to ensure that they care of their growing elderly population. Countries also need to take quick action to make certain that their social services funds will not suddenly become depleted.
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