World Alzheimer Report

I found the following report from Alzheimer's Disease International quite interesting:

• The prevalence and incidence of dementia double with every 5-year increase in age.
• The patient's family is the primary caregiving source and is aided by professionals who provide care at home or at specialized residential centers (care homes).
• Quality of life in patients with dementia — the ultimate treatment goal — is similar for those cared for at home and those in specialized centers.
• Dementia costs US$604 billion annually worldwide. Costs are projected to double to $1,117 billion by 2030.
• The total cost per person with dementia is 38 times higher in high-income countries than in low-income countries.
• Standard and Poor considers global aging a threat to world economic stability.
• The proportion of dependent persons aged 60 and older will increase between 2000 and 2050 from 29% to 45%.
• Promoting healthy aging and healthy lifestyles may postpone dementia-related dependence.
• Among older American adults, those with dementia are much more likely than those without dementia to live in specialized centers (about 30% to 40% vs. 2%). Only about 6% of dementia patients in low- and middle-income countries live in centers.
• Approximately 15 million American adults give unpaid care to someone with dementia.
• In Latin America, India, and China, those who live with an older person with dementia have a twofold increased risk for psychological morbidity.
• Dementia is incurable and life-limiting and therefore confers the right to palliative care.
• At the end of life, the most common symptoms in dementia patients are pain, pressure sores, shortness of breath, eating and swallowing problems, infections, and psychological symptoms, including agitation. Both under- and over-treatment should be avoided.
• Advance decisions to refuse treatment should be made with supervision from an expert in the process and by a patient with mental competence at the time of the decision.