Dr. Carole Myers of the University of Tennessee College of Nursing speaks with Dr. Joel Anderson, a nationally-known gerontology researcher currently focusing on support for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other dementias.
One in nine Americans (11%) age 65 years or older has AD, which tends to develop slowly with worsening across the years. On average, people with AD live between 3- and 11-years post-diagnosis.
80% of people with AD receive care in their home and commonly care is provided by family and friends. These caregivers are primarily female (2 in 3); 34% are age 65 years or older; 25% of the caregivers are part of the sandwich generation, caring for younger and older people simultaneously.
The average duration of caregiving for someone with AD is four years.
