The Alzheimer’s Association 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report reveals that both dementia caregivers and healthcare workers report difficulties in navigating dementia care within the U.S. healthcare system. The report provides an in-depth look at the latest national and state-level statistics on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence, mortality, caregiving, dementia care workforce and costs of care. The new report estimates that 6.9 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, including 250,600 in Illinois. This year the cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is projected to reach $360 billion — a $15 billion increase from a year ago. This does not include unpaid care provided by family caregivers and friends. Last year in Illinois there were 311,000 dementia family caregivers, providing 480,000,000 hours of unpaid care valued at $9,840,000,000.  Illinois caregivers and those across the country face significant emotional, physical and health-related challenges as a result of caregiving as well, according to the report:

• Dementia caregivers report higher rates of chronic conditions, including stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer compared to caregivers of people without dementia or non-caregivers. In Illinois, 64.2% of caregivers reported at least one chronic condition.

• The prevalence of depression is higher among dementia caregivers when compared to caregivers for other conditions. In Illinois, 29.0% of caregivers reported depression.

• Seventy-four percent of dementia caregivers report they are “somewhat concerned” to “very concerned” about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver. In Illinois, 64% report frequent poor physical health.

• Across the country, 59% of dementia caregivers report high to very high emotional stress due to caregiving and 38% report high to very high physical stress due to caregiving.