Economic impact of Alzheimer’s disease in Brazil: Is it possible to improve care and minimize costs?

Abstract

The scope of this study is to discuss data relating to the costs involved with Alzheimer’s Disease and the initiatives in terms of care in order to reduce costs and help family members and caregivers to cope with the disease. The biggest cost for people with mild Alzheimer’s Disease is the cost of time spent by the unremunerated care-giver, and for those at the advanced stages of the disease it is the cost of institutional care. In this respect, the literature proposes the adoption of models of care that maximize the functional independence of the elderly and maintain their skills, such as Day Care Centers for the Elderly and rehabilitation programs and support offered to the elderly and their family members. These models of care need to be discussed, structured and deployed in the context of the Brazilian reality.