Imagine if you forgot the names of your children or your grandchildren. Imagine living in fear and confusion - this is Alzheimer's disease, and it is poised to be the single most significant health and social crisis of the 21st century.
World Alzheimer's Day was held on September 21 to heighten awareness of the global economic impact of the disease and related dementias, but there was little mention, if any, of the age-related disease by world leaders.
I've often heard young people express their distaste for age-related ailments, even going so far as to say, "If I ever have to wear diapers, just shoot me!" Believe me, there are worse things to fear about aging than incontinence.
I've worked in a couple of senior care homes and have seen the affects of Alzheimer's disease and dementia first-hand. Like so many other diseases, these disorders have a terrible affect on the family of the one who is suffering. There is nothing as heartbreaking as seeing a child trying to remind their mother or father who they are.
This disease, which affects 35.6 million people world-wide, will have doubled by 2030 and more than tripled by 2050, according to the experts. Yet, Canada has made no national plan to deal with its social and health consequences, including the high-cost of caring for individuals suffering from the disease.
Worldwide costs of dementia will exceed one percent of the global GDP in 2010. If dementia were a country, it would be the world's 18th largest economy. If it were a company, it would be the world's largest by annual revenue exceeding Wal-Mart (USD $414 billion).
Despite the high-cost of caring for the disease, there is little being done about it. Governments and other major research funders have not made Alzheimer's a top priority. Recent research suggests that a 15-fold increase in research funding would be required to reach parity with research into heart disease, and a 30-fold increase to achieve parity with cancer research.
So why aren't things moving more quickly with Alzheimer's and dementia research? Perhaps those who are old and forgetful have been forgotten by society. Maybe seniors' suffering in silence isn't a priority for our politicians.
Maybe a better question to ask the policy makers is this: How do you want to be remembered?
