More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. By 2050 that number could reach 16 million.
Today, six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. That’s six million people struggling daily to recall the names and faces of those around them; six million people trying to remain grounded amid unpredictable waves of anxiety, terror, and rage; six million people forgetting to eat regular meals.
That number, as big as it is, tells only part of the story.
An Alzheimer’s diagnosis affects not only the individual with the disease, but also the people closest to them. In other words, the six million Americans living with Alzheimer’s today do not suffer alone. They share their pain and confusion with millions of husbands, wives, sons, daughters, partners, and friends—loved ones who are forced to watch them deteriorate, bit by bit, year after long year.
These caregivers find themselves leading radically altered lives. Families take on the financial burden of caring for someone whose dementia complicates treatment plans and compounds medical costs. Primary caregivers—most often women—may lose their jobs, due to the time commitment involved in caring for a person with Alzheimer’s. Children grow up not knowing how to respond to a loved one who may cry or act out for no apparent reason.
The people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are but a fraction of the total number of those whose lives are devastated by the disease.
By 2050, their numbers are expected to swell to 16 million in the US alone.
Cure Alzheimer’s Fund is fighting to bring an end to this disease before that happens. You can help us find a cure.
For the many who are suffering today, and for the many more who may suffer tomorrow, please click here to donate now. Join the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
