The state unveiled its new plan to improve care for people with Alzheimer's Monday. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of Oregonians with Alzheimer's or a related dementia has increased by one third.
That growth is a result of people living longer. The older we get, the more likely we are to see the symptoms.
Speaking on OPB's Think Out Loud, Jon Bartholomew, the public policy director of the Oregon chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, says about 76,000 Oregonians now have the disease.
"That's approximately the entire population of the city of Bend. And by 2025 we're expected to add enough to raise that to 110,000 people in Oregon and that's like adding all of Clatsop County to Bend."
Similar growth is being seen across the nation. In fact, there's already a federal Alzheimer plan. Oregon is just the latest state to set up its own.
Oregon's plan has a number of goals, including providing treatment; optimizing the quality of care and improving access to care -- especially in rural areas. [...]
I expect it's happening in other states too, that have lots of retirees.
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