World Alzheimers Report reveals global dementia epidemic and growing need for caregivers

The World Alzheimer Report 2013 ‘Journey of Caring: An analysis of long-term care for dementia’, reveals that, as the world population ages, the traditional system of “informal” care by family, friends, and community will require much greater support. Globally, 13% of people aged 60 or over require long-term care. Between 2010 and 2050, the total number of older people with care needs will nearly treble from 101 to 277 million.
Long-term care is mainly about care for people with dementia; around half of all older people who need personal care have dementia, and 80% of older people in nursing homes are living with dementia. The worldwide cost of dementia care is currently over US$600 billion, or around 1% of global GDP.
The report which was researched and authored by Prof Martin Prince, Dr Matthew Prina and Dr Maëlenn Guerchet on behalf of the Global Observatory for Ageing and Dementia Care which is hosted at the Health Service and Population Research Department, King’s College London. See Full Report Here.