Impact of dementia: Health disparities, population trends, care interventions, and economic costs
July 10, 2021
María P. Aranda, PhD, and Ladson Hinton. MD, Executive Committee Members of the IMPACT Health Equity Team, were among the co-authors of an article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society discussing information presented at the 2020 National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers, Theme 1: Impact of Dementia. The article discusses differences in the dementia experience and how understanding the patterning of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the population with regards to incidence, risk factors, impacts on dementia care, and economic costs associated with ADRD can provide clues to target risk and protective factors for all populations as well as addressing health disparities. They found that significant research gaps remain. Ensuring that ADRD healthcare services and long-term care services and supports are accessible, affordable, and effective for all segments of our population is essential for health equity. Policy-level interventions are in short supply to redress broad unmet needs and systemic sources of disparities. Whole of society challenges demand research producing whole of society solutions. The urgency, complexity, and scale merit a “whole of government” approach involving collaboration across numerous federal agencies.
