Task force seeks improvement for Alzheimer's cases

By the best estimate, family and friends provide about $2.2 billion worth of unpaid care to people with Alzheimer's disease in Oregon each year. That's a number equal to the hole in Oregon's budget, and it's not likely to improve anytime soon.

In fact, say Alzheimer's experts, the number of patients will grow — estimates put the number at 110,000 by 2025, a 69-percent spike in cases in just over a decade, as baby boomers begin to grey.

To help Oregonians prepare for that increase, a statewide task force unveiled a proposal Monday that focuses on caregivers, state government and the improving quality of care.

The task force is made up of experts in aging populations, physicians and lawyers. The group has the support of the governor and state legislators, and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' national rollout of its National Alzheimer's Project Act.

"We all need to roll up our sleeves and confront Alzheimer's disease now," said Dr. Jeffrey Kaye, a member of the task force and director of geriatric neurology at the Portland Veterans Administration.


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Task force seeks improvement for Alzheimer's cases