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Alzheimer's Makes Care 3 Times as Costly

By the Associated Press

Posted Mar 24, 2009 10:49 AM CDT

(AP) – The health-care costs of Alzheimer’s patients are more than triple those of other older people, and that doesn’t include billions of hours of unpaid care from family members, a new report suggests. Compared with other people aged 65 and older, those with the mind-destroying disease are much more often hospitalized and treated in skilled-nursing centers.

It all adds up to at least $33,007 in annual costs per patient, compared with $10,603 without Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The numbers are based on 2004 Medicare and insurance data; today’s figures are likely higher. “These statistics paint a really grim picture of what’s going to happen … unless we invest in solutions” to delay or prevent the disease, an association exec said.

Caring for Alzheimer's patients can get expensive.
Caring for Alzheimer's patients can get expensive.   (Shutterstock)
Alzheimer's patients are expensive to care for.
Alzheimer's patients are expensive to care for.   (Shutterstock)
This image released by the United States Postal Service shows the Alzheimer's postage stamp.
This image released by the United States Postal Service shows the Alzheimer's postage stamp.   (USPS)
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Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

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