Dementia is set to become one of the biggest global health challenges of our generation. In the United States alone, there are about 5 million people living with the disease, and this figure is projected to more than triple by 2050.
Those of us who don’t develop dementia will probably end up caring for someone who does. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 80 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are receiving care in their homes. That’s 15 million Americans who provide more than 17 billion hours of unpaid care for family and friends with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias every year. This makes dementia carers an invaluable resource for both the people they care for and society as a whole.
