We’ve talked about Alzheimer’s disease from almost every possible angle here on the blog, but according to MarketWatch, there is one major implication of diagnosis that we haven’t discussed — Alzheimer’s as a barrier to retirement.

Robert Powell’s article stresses that while most Americans worry about tax rates and 401Ks when preparing for retirement, there is a clear elephant in the room — Alzheimer’s.

5.3 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s, but most families fail to prepare for the disease. And what is perhaps most alarming is that the number of cases is expected to skyrocket to 19 million by 2050.

While I won’t delve into the details of retirement planning here (you can learn more about how to prepare for retirement with Alzheimer’s by checking out Powell’s article), this is just one more reason why we must prepare for what many have called the “silver tsunami.” Life expectancy rates in this country are at an all-time high and with advanced age comes the increased threat of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is hurting our nation’s families and bankrupting our country’s health care system. Isn’t it time for our federal government to invest in research and finally put an end to this devastating disease?