The recently released 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report confirms that by 2010, there will be nearly a half million new cases of Alzheimer’s each year. By 2050, that number will double to nearly a million new cases per year. For senior living companies that care for residents with Alzheimer’s, the data reaffirms the increasing demand for specialized memory care services.

The 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, published by the Alzheimer’s Association, looks at various aspects of the growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s cases throughout the United States, including care challenges, costs of care, and state-level budgetary implications. Here are some highlights from the study:

• As many as 5.3 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease.
• Alzheimer’s is now the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing diabetes; it is the fifth-leading cause of death among individuals 65 and older, following heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and stroke.
• The National Academy of Sciences estimates that an additional 3.5 million health-care workers will be required by 2030 just to maintain current levels of staffing for Alzheimer’s care demands.

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