This week and next, What If will be publishing a number of posts on end-of-life and long-term care.
While doing the research for these pieces, I came across an excellent media resource on Alzheimer’s disease.
This past Mother’s Day, HBO Documentary Films released a four-part series on Alzheimer’s dubbed “The Alzheimer’s Project.”
You can watch segments from “The Alzheimer’s Project” online here.
The clips explore the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s, while reviewing current research on the disease.
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that typically affects Americans aged 60 and older. The disease slowly destroys memory, and other cognitive skills that are required to carry out basic tasks.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s today. One out of eight people aged 65 and older has Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is the second most feared disease after cancer- and for good reason. An expected 11 million Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by 2040 as the baby boomer generation ages.
And Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect the patient in question: There are an estimated 10 million Americans providing 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. These work hours are valued $94 billion.
Check out The Alzheimer’s Project for more information on this debilitating disease.
