PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island continues to be hard-hit by Alzheimer’s disease, and the number of cases and associated expenses are expected to grow over the next five years, according to the recently released Alzheimer’s Association’s 2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report.
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- There are currently 24,000 people who are living with Alzheimer’s, which is expected to grow to 27,000 by 2025.
- There are 54,000 people caring for someone with Alzheimer’s.
- Medicaid costs of caring for people with Alzheimer’s is $470 million.
- There were 418 people who died from Alzheimer’s in 2018.
The report found that 32 geriatricians were practicing in Rhode Island in 2019 but estimated that 49 will be needed to meet the demand posed by Alzheimer’s by 2050.
“With the number of Rhode Island residents living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias increasing, it’s critically important that we take steps to ensure primary care physicians and other providers across the state are fully prepared to meet current and future dementia care needs,” said Donna McGowan, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter.
Nationwide, more than 5 million people, 80% of whom are age 75 or older, are living with Alzheimer’s. The disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the fifth-leading for people age 65 and older.
