New Mississippi Alzheimer's numbers released today show a worsening problem

NEW REPORT SAYS AS MANY AS 198,000 ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS IN MISSISSIPPI

The Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association released the 2011 figures for the state today.

In this year’s Facts and Figures report, we see the number of people with the disease growing and the number of friends and family who care for them significantly more than previously reported. The new report reveals there are more than 198,000 Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers in Mississippi and shedding light on the growing impact of a disease that currently is the sixth-leading cause of death and the only cause of death among the top 10 causes in America without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression. In 2010, these caregivers provided over 225 million hours of unpaid care valued at over $2.6 billion. There are an estimated 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 53,000 living in Mississippi alone.

Most people survive an average of four to eight years after a diagnosis, but many can live as long as 20 years with the disease. This prolonged duration often places increasingly intensive care demands on family members and friends who provide care. Most caregivers are family members who take on a tremendous financial, physical and emotional burden to help care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.


“Alzheimer’s is a significant threat not only for the nation – but also for the people of Mississippi,” said Patty Dunn, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Mississippi Chapter. “With a rapidly aging population at increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s and the number of caregivers growing each year, it will become increasingly important for states to be prepared with dementia-capable support services for people at all stages of the disease.”


Alzheimer’s Impact on States


Medicaid covers nursing home care and other long-term care services in the community for individuals who can no longer afford to pay for long-term care expenses. Ensuring access to Medicaid for those who need it must remain a priority for states as they deal with the escalating Alzheimer crisis. Average per-person Medicaid payments for beneficiaries aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are nine times higher than Medicaid payments for those without the disease. While Medicaid costs are $37 billion today they will climb almost 400 percent by 2050.


At a time when a number of states are facing tremendous budget challenges, the growing Alzheimer’s population will strain state budgets further. Alzheimer’s has profound implications for future state budgets, and states must prepare now to address the multiple and complex challenges that Alzheimer’s poses to individuals, families and state governments, particularly Medicaid.


While only 4 percent of the general population will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80, for people with Alzheimer’s, 75 percent will admitted to a nursing home, posing significant economic challenges to state Medicaid budgets.


More than half of the states in the country have developed or are in the process of developing state plans. These plans will be instrumental in assessing the current impact of Alzheimer’s on Mississippi and outlining what steps Mississippi lawmakers must take in the coming years to improve its services and support to Alzheimer’s families.


“The latest Facts and Figures report shows the significant impact of Alzheimer’s disease – on the individual, the family, and state and federal governments,” said Patty Dunn, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Mississippi Chapter. “This is why we urge state policymakers to support the progression and further refinement of the Mississippi Alzheimer’s plan which can help to set goals for a broad range of related issues such as state support of research efforts, financing long-term care, expanding dementia-capable home and community based services and other important issues.”


Importance of Early Detection


Increasing evidence suggests that early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and timely intervention is beneficial, both for people with the disease and their caregivers. Early diagnosis allows affected people, relatives and their caregivers to plan for the future, obtain medical care to manage symptoms and optimize function, and assists Alzheimer’s families in taking steps to reduce the risk of accidents requiring further medical care. The new report explores the issue of early detection and outlines the various benefits it provides families, including access to valuable support services and resources and also helping to reduce anxiety among caregivers.  The Alzheimer’s Association helps newly diagnosed individuals and their families. The Mississippi Chapter offers lunch and learn programs including the Know the Ten Signs campaign as well as several family orientation programs.


“The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to increasing awareness about the importance of early detection and diagnosis,” said Patty Dunn, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Mississippi Chapter. “The Family Orientation Program goal is to work with families in the community and connect them to local resources and services that help them to better understand and manage what Alzheimer’s disease introduces into their lives. This knowledge can not only be empowering but extremely helpful to the whole family.”


Delays in diagnosis mean that individuals are not getting treatment in the earlier stages of the disease when they are most effective. They also miss the opportunity to make legal, financial and care plans.





2011 FF ALZ_MS[1]

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