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REGION — The Alzheimer’s Association 2023 Facts and Figures report finds the burden on caregivers for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia is growing.
It found an estimated 546,000 dementia family caregivers across New York state in 2022, providing 884 million hours of unpaid care, valued at $19.09 billion. In Pennsylvania, the caregivers number 404,000, providing 646 million hours of care at a value of $10.7 billion.
The new report also reveals that caregivers face significant emotional, physical and health-related challenges as a result of caregiving as well.
Dementia caregivers report higher rates of chronic conditions—including stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer—compared to caregivers of people without dementia or non-caregivers. In New York, 59 percent of caregivers reported at least one chronic condition. In PA, it’s 55.7 percent.
The prevalence of depression is higher among dementia caregivers when compared to caregivers for other conditions. In New York, nearly one-quarter of caregivers reported depression. Over a fifth of PA caregivers were depressed.
Seventy-four percent of dementia caregivers report they are “somewhat concerned” to “very concerned” about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver. In New York, 12 percent report frequent poor physical health; in PA, it’s 12.5 percent.
Across the country, 59 percent of dementia caregivers report high to very high emotional stress due to caregiving and 38 percent report high to very high physical stress due to caregiving.
“This year’s Facts and Figures report underscores the considerable physical and emotional toll New York caregivers experience when caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s,” said David Sobel, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter. “It clearly underlines the need for caregiver support in New York and across the region.
“The Alzheimer’s Association offers free local support, including support groups and education, as well as the Association’s 24/7 helpline,” he continued. “This support can be a lifeline to caregivers.”
The annual Facts and Figures report provides an in-depth look at the latest national and state-by-state statistics on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence, mortality, caregiving, dementia-care workforce and costs of care.
According to the report, there are 6.7 million people 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s dementia in the United States, including roughly 410,000 in New York state and approximately 280,000 in PA.
Information from the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter and the Greater PA Chapter.
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