Archive for the ‘General’ Category
March is National Alzheimer’s month. With my Mom in a memory care unit, I know all too well the devastating impact of this disease. It’s also an issue that is NOT talked about in health care reform.
The reported cases of Alzheimer’s are up 34% from last year. There is – to date- no prevention and no cure. Please become aware. Donate if you can. Longevity is a cruel fate if your very essence vanishes along with your dignity and self-sufficiency.
According to the 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, released today by the Alzheimer’s Association, there are nearly 15 million Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers in the United States — 37 percent more than reported last year. In 2010, these individuals provided 17 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $202.6 billion.
The burden of caregiving – emotional, financial and physical – is only part of the growing Alzheimer’s epidemic. Today, an estimated 5.4 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. While death rates for most major diseases, including heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, stroke and HIV/AIDS have declined since 2000, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have risen.
The growth of Alzheimer’s will lead to rising costs for our entire nation. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that total payments for health and long-term care services for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will amount to $183 billion in 2011.
2011 Facts and Figures also includes a special report focusing on early detection and diagnosis. Increasing evidence suggests that early diagnosis and timely intervention is beneficial both for people with the disease and their caregivers. A formal and documented diagnosis helps the individual and their family to explain and expect behaviors and opens to doors to vital care and support service.
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Tags: With the help of the fabulous Primeau Productions I have created a podcast on http://www.leadhershiponline.com/. You can subscribe via Itunes by clicking the image on the sidebar!
“Leadership and authority are not the same thing …Authority goes in the direction that’s already in the book; the path that has been clearly trod before now, the way that is safe and sure, clear and certain, obedient and approved, applauded and rewarded. Leadership, on the other hand, rewrites the book. It takes the direction that leads only to the promise of a better tomorrow for everyone however difficult it may be to achieve it now.” From NCR- Wanted; Women of Spirit in our own time. Sister Joan Chittister, OSB
