Learn more about Alzheimer's and Dementia from the UCTV Prime video web series Heartache & Hope Alzheimer's Epidemic.
As Baby Boomers become senior citizens, Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia are on track to reach epidemic proportions, with a new case every 68 seconds and an annual cost of $1.2 trillion projected by 2050. The disease also takes its toll on family members struggling to care for their loved ones, while watching them slowly slip away in what some describe as "the long goodbye." The first in a series of three programs from UCLA offers an overview of the looming epidemic and illustrates the fear and grief experienced by patients and their loved ones, including Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald Reagan, and TV personality Leeza Gibbons, who lost her mother to Alzheimer's.
The projections for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are alarming, but not all the news is bad. The second installment in this series from UCLA assesses the progress researchers have made in understanding the disease and highlights some promising clinical trials and diagnosis techniques that could slow its progression, possibly the first step towards prevention and cure.
It's often said, "if you've seen one person with Alzheimer's, then you've seen one person with Alzheimer's." The disease affects everyone differently, but all patients and their families experience some form of grief and fear, not to mention the stress put on the caregivers. The third and final installment in this series from UCLA offers up new models for healthcare and caregiver support that emphasize early diagnosis and support networks for everyone touched by the disease.
