Baby Boomers are worried about the possibility that they or a loved one will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, but they aren’t preparing for that possibility, according to a new survey.
The MetLife Foundation released a survey yesterday showing that cancer and Alzheimer’s are the two top diseases that concern Boomers the most.
The survey -- “What America Thinks” -- was done with Harris Interactive and focused on the issue of Alzheimer’s: How concerned were people about the disease, what they’ve to prepare themselves for the possibility that they or someone they love might someday be afflicted with Alzheimer’s.
Asked which of five major diseases people feared the most:
- 41 percent said cancer;
- 31 percent said Alzheimer’s;
- 8 percent said heart disease;
- 8 percent said stroke;
- 6 percent said diabetes.
MetLife said in a statement that recent estimates show more than 26 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's. The number of Americans aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease is estimated to reach 7.7 million in 2030 - a greater than 50 percent increase from today because of the aging Baby Boomer population.
According to the survey, 23 percent of adults are extremely or very concerned that they may someday provide care for a loved one with Alzheimer's, an increase from 18 percent in 2006.
But MetLife noted only 18 percent of adults say they have made any plans for the possibility of getting Alzheimer's disease, compared to 12 percent in 2006.
Fewer than half of all adults claim to have talked to their families about Alzheimer's disease (41 percent).
Thirty-three percent have considered what care options would be available to them in the event of Alzheimer’s; 44 percent have designated who would take care of them.
Slightly more than one in five (21 percent) adults say they have made some kind of financial arrangement for the possibility of Alzheimer’s onset.
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