Burden grows for individuals, families, and governments as agencies raise warning
The recent World Alzheimer Report for 2010 [opens to PDF] says that the societal cost of dementia is not only already enormous, but that dementia is also significantly affecting every health and social care system in the world. Additionally, the economic impact on families is insufficiently appreciated. More ominously, the report predicts that worldwide, the costs of dementia are set to soar. And it states there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective packages of medical and social care that meet the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers across the course of the illness, and evidence-based prevention strategies.
We speak with a representative of the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and hear comments from Mary Jean Vangenne, of Ladysmith, about her husband’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
