“Women and Alzheimer's disease: The Caregiver's Crisis

The results of a new survey released earlier this year, by Working Mother Media highlights the growing number women serving as a primary caregiver for a family member with dementia.

The Alzheimer's Association® acted as a knowledge partner on the survey, “Women and Alzheimer's disease: The Caregiver's Crisis,” which reveals the increasing demands on women to balance career, parenthood and caregiving.

• More than half of caregivers had to adjust their work schedules to accommodate caregiving and 39 percent passed up a promotion.
• 55 percent of caregivers are not saving for retirement.
• 65 percent of caregivers have not had a vacation in the past year.

As we learned from The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s, these competing priorities have severe consequences on a woman’s financial, emotional and physical health. Heather Snyder, Ph.D., senior associate director, Medical and Scientific Relations, Alzheimer’s Association, said, “We cannot think of Alzheimer’s as a disease on one person. Every area of a caregiver’s life is affected: her job, her relationships, her children and even her own health.”

The survey results reveal that 49 percent of current caregivers feel overwhelmed. The Alzheimer's Association provides information, support and resources to caregivers in need. Visitors to the new Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregiver Center can access:

Practical caregiving tips for every stage of the disease.

• Advice on how to manage a wide range of caregiving issues, from daily care to safety issues to planning for the future.
• Information on managing stress and coping with emotions related to caregiving.
• Information on local support groups and AlzConnected, an online community for people with the disease and their caregivers.

If you are a caregiver, tell us how we can help you by filling out this survey. We also encourage you to visit the Alzheimer's Association website for support and information on how to care for individual with Alzheimer's disease while maintaining your own well-being.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s disease.