Need for dementia caregivers grows as boomers age
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Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron spoke as British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, looked on at the G8 Dementia Summit held at Lancaster House, central London on Wednesday. Cameron says he hopes to kick-start an international effort to find a cure or effective treatment for dementia by 2025.
ELMHURST, Ill. » World leaders set a goal for a cure or treatment for dementia by 2025 at the recent G8 summit in London.
But for now, caregiving is among the most pressing issue for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
The Chicago-based Alzheimer’s Association says there are an estimated 15 million caregivers in the United States. And as baby boomers age and live longer, those numbers are expected to grow.
Katie Halloran, a 29-year-old teacher from suburban Chicago, is one of those caregivers.
She races home each day to her 62-year-old father Mike, who has Alzheimer’s, to take over for his paid caregiver. As his condition worsens, she and her siblings are considering full-time care — a move Katie dreads.
