Alzheimer's caregiver numbers larger than first believed

Report: Alzheimer's caregivers number 15 million

Far more people than previously believed are providing billions of hours of unpaid care for Alzheimer's patients, highlighting the growing impact of a graying population.

Nearly 15 million caregivers — most of them family members but also friends — provide care for people with dementia, says a report being released Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association.

An estimated 5.4 million Americans have the mind-destroying disease. That it takes so many more people to care for them reflects the burden of an illness that not only robs its sufferers of the ability to do the simplest activities of daily life — but that patients can survive in that increasingly incapacitated state for years, even a decade or two.

"It's too much of a job for any one person," said Dr. William Thies of the Alzheimer's Association. "Even Superman can't do it."

Those caregivers provide 17 billion hours of unpaid care, valued at more than $202 billion. Previously, experts had used a count about a decade ago to estimate that about 10 million caregivers provided 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care for Alzheimer's patients.

Moreover, the time and stress of caring for an Alzheimer's patient takes a physical toll, translating into nearly $8 billion worth of extra health care costs for caregivers, the report says.

There is no known cure, and today's treatments merely help symptoms for a while. While Alzheimer's can strike the middle-aged, it mostly is a disease of older people and thus is expected to skyrocket as the population ages.

Despite all the behind-the-scenes unpaid care, health and nursing home expenditures for dementia patients will reach $183 billion this year, much of it paid by Medicare and Medicaid, the report says.

(Video) Check out our friends from Grenada interviewing at the Battle on the Bayou and sporting their LR gear. Thanks guys!

JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Saturday's "Battle on the Bayou" kayak and canoe race in Jackson County was a big hit. In just it's second year, the number of participants was nearly double last year's turnout.

And they came to the coast from as far away as California and Wisconsin. A total of 190 boats left the starting point at Gulf Hills Resort, with participants paddling nearly 10 miles along Fort Bayou to the finish line at "The Shed."

Colorful kayaks covered the waters of Fort Bayou behind Gulf Hills Resort. Racers warmed up and jockeyed for position before the cannon sounded to start the second "Battle on the Bayou."

Grenada Star: Kayaking Club raises Alzheimer’s Awareness

Grenadians Larry Veasey and Will Turnage (top photo) push
their way down the Yalobusha River. Four members of the
Yalobusha Area Canoe and Kayak Club took part in
Lucy’s Revenge Paddling Project. The project was a
52-mile three-day trip down the Yalobusha River from
Grenada Lake to Greenwood. It was done to raise awareness to
Alzheimer’s. The local club has been in existence since Oct. 2010
and is seeking new members.
Staff Photos/Leann McCoy

By LEANN McCOY
Staff Writer

Kayaker Keith Plunkett of Flora had two goals in mind when he and several others navigated the Yalobusha River waterway last weekend as part of the Lucy’s Revenge Paddling Project.

Those goals were to bring raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and showcase some of Mississippi’s lesser-known waterways, according to Plunkett.

Plunkett and several others kayaked the Yalobusha River during a three-day trip from Grenada Lake to Greenwood for a total of 52 miles.

The event was sponsored by Lifehelp Region 6 Mental Health Center-Garden Park Adult Day Center.

The paddling project is a tribute to Plunkett’s grandmother, Evelyn Kirk Plunkett, also known as Lucy, and the family members who cared for her. Lucy Plunkett died in 1993, but she began showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease as early as 1977.

“That’s what’s so bad about this disease,” Plunkett said. “It takes little pieces from somebody in such a slow way that you almost don’t notice it until it’s forced on you. To watch that happen over time, to someone who was as integral to my life as she was, it was tough.”

Plunkett said he began paddling across the state last July to help raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association and highlight the ongoing efforts of the group and medical professionals who try to defeat the disease.

“Kayaking can be extremely difficult, and when I started, I was doing 25-30 mile treks, and I thought I was going to die,” he said. “A month later, I did 45 miles from the start of the Wolf River all the way down to Bay St. Louis.”

Those interested in learning more about Lucy’s Revenge, can look at http://www.lucysrevenge.com/.

For the Yalobusha River run, he was joined by his wife, Sharon, and 10 others for the trek. He was joined for the first day by four members of the Yalobusha Area Kayakers Club (YAK) that paddled from the lake to Holcomb. Other local members include Craig Hill, Will Turnage, and Chriis Horn.

According to Larry Veasey, a member of YAK, the local group has been in existence since June 2010. They were happy to take part in an event for such a worthy cause.

“We really enjoyed helping raise needed awareness for such a dreaded disease,” Veasey said. “We enjoyed our time going down the Yalobusha River to Holcomb.”

Last October, three members of the group took part in the Phatwater Challenge. It was a 42-mile race down the Miss. River betweem Port Gibson and Natchez. A total of 200 boats took part in the race.

“It was a blast,” Veasey said. “The Corps of Engineers stopped barge traffic down the river and it was impressive to see 200 boats competing in the race.”

The group has planned an outing at Six-Mile Lake near Avalon.

Veasey said that the group is always looking for new members.

“We are more of a group than a club,” Veasey said. “It’s a way to get out and get some exercise. We invite anyone interested to come kayak with us anytime.”

Those interested in being part of the group can contact Veasey at 417-2858. They can also look on Facebook searching for Yalobusha Area Canoe and Kayak Club. The address for Facebook is http://www.facebook.com/.

Grenada Star

Lucy's Revenge group joined on Yalobusha River by Robin Whitfield (Video)

Robin Whitfield is a paddling friend and artist in Greenwood. During our recent 3-day trip on the Yalobusha River trip she helped us shuttle vehicles from Grenada to Greenwood so they would be there for us when we arrived, and she joined us for a day and a half of paddling; one leg from Highway 8 to Malmaison ramp, and another from the mouth of the Yalobusha and Tallahatchie as they form the Yazoo, about 18 of the 52 miles. During that time, Robin and I were able to visit and talk about her life and her dedication to Mississippi rivers and the outdoors. She is one of the many wonderfully interesting personalities you meet while getting to do what we do.

It was great to meet her, and I look forward to the work we'll do together to bring awareness to Mississippi waterways through Blueway development. Toward the end of the video you'll see where she, Hart Henson, and John Coleman join us for the last three miles of our trip.

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Robin Whitfield: A Painter's Passage from Barefoot Workshops on Vimeo.

March 5 Audio Update: A rainy weekend at home.

Delta Bohemian: A Sunflower River Expedition

Delta Bohemian: A Sunflower River Expedition

Audio: Updates from the Sunflower River

If you don't follow me on Facebook or Twitter then you didn't get these audio updates from the Sunflower River. If you do follow and missed them, here they are again all in one place.

February 26, 2011. Day One on our tour of the muddy and wild Sunflower River:


February 27, 2011. Day Two from Downtown Clarksdale as we ready for our second leg on the Sunflower River:


February 27, 2011. An update from the Sunflower River a half mile from the takeout point at Hopson:


February 27, 2011. Final words on the Sunflower River trip from Downtown Clarksdale at Stone Pony Pizza: