Alzheimer's Disease

Research has consistently shown that providing care for a family member with Alzheimer's disease is one of the most stressful of life events, particularly for women, who are more likely than men to be primary caregivers. The majority of people with Alzheimer's disease are cared for in the home, which may affect the work situation of the caregivers, their own health, and their finances. In the United States alone, direct-care costs for people with Alzheimer's disease are over $50 billion per year (Leon, Cheng, and Neumann 1998). That figure does not include billions of dollars that businesses lose each year because of productivity losses and absenteeism of caregivers.