In 2004, total per person payments from all sources for health care, long-term care and hospice were 3 times higher for Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's and other dementias than for other Medicare beneficiaries of the same group.

About 2.4 million Americans age 85 and older have Alzheimer's disease (47% of the Alzheimer's population 65 and older). When the first wave of Baby Boomers reaches age 85 (year 2031), approximately 3.5 million people age 85 and older will have Alzheimer's.

In 2010, more than 5.5 million Americans are age 85 and older; by 2050, that number will nearly quadruple to 19 million.

By 2030, the segment of the U.S. population aged 65 and older is expected to double. At that time, the estimated 71 million older Americans will make up approximately 20% of the total population.

Among nursing home residents in the U.S. with Alzheimer's and other dementias, 51% relied on Medicaid to help pay for their nursing home care in 2000.

One study approximated that in 2002, employees who were caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias cost U.S. businesses $36.5 billion.

Americans with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias have more than 3 times as many hospital stays as other older people.

In 2008, 9.9 million Americans provides unpaid care for a family member, friend, or neighbor with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias--more than 1/4 of all unpaid caregivers of older adults in the U.S. They provided 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care--an average of 16.6 hours of care per caregiver each week.