The following facts are useful in better understanding Alheimer's disease (AD) and why it is important to plan for the future:

• Currently, 4.5 million Americans have AD. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that these numbers will grow until, by 2050, as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease, as the last of the baby boomers turn 85 (the age when Alzheimer’s is most prevalent).
• A person with Alzheimer’s disease will live an average of eight years and as many as 20 years or more from the onset of symptoms as estimated by relatives. The average lifetime cost of care for an individual with Alzheimer’s was $174,000 as of the 1990s.Treatment and care for those with Alzheimer’s disease costs $100 billion a year in the U.S. 
• More than seven out of ten people with Alzheimer’s disease live at home, where family and friends provide almost 75 percent of their care. Americans’s life expectancy continues to increase and nearly half of those over 85 are affected by Alzheimer’s.
• The 2005 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home and Home Care Costs reports that the average daily cost of private room in a nursing home is $203 ($176 semiprivate) and that a home health aide costs an average of $19 per hour, and a homemaker/companion $17 per hour. According to the MMI, assisted living costs $2,524 per month on average (2004 figures). Additional charges often apply for the care of residents with AD.
• AD costs American businesses $61 billion per year, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association. Of that, $24.6 billion covers Alzheimer’s health care and $36.5 billion covers costs related to caregiving, including lost productivity, absenteeism and worker replacement.
• One-third of employed caregivers acknowledge that caregiving responsibilities decrease their productivity at work and U.S. businesses lose between $11.3 and $23 billion due to caregiving.
• There is increasing evidence that people can take steps to help keep their brains healthy as they age. These actions might also reduce one’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, or delay the onset of the disease. Some doctors suggest that leading a healthier lifestyle can not only help us live longer, but live better. This includes proper nutrition, staying socially involved, and exercising both body and mind. View Ten Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Brain (PDF, 83.9 kb) from the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

Read more about how MetLife is Making a Difference in the research of Alzheimer's disease.