A definitive and compelling book on one of today's most prevalent illnesses.
In 2019, an estimated 5.8 million Americans had Alzheimerâs, and more than half a million died because of the disease and its devastating complications. Sixteen million caregivers are responsible for paying as much as half of the $226 billion annual costs of their care. As more people live beyond their seventies and eighties, the number of patients will rise to an estimated 13.8 million by 2025.
Part case study, part meditation on the past, present, and future of the disease, The Problem of Alzheimerâs traces Alzheimerâs from its beginnings to its recognition as a crisis. While it is an unambiguous account of decades of missed opportunities and our health care systemâs failures to take action, this groundbreaking book tells the story of the biomedical breakthroughs that may allow Alzheimerâs to finally be prevented and treated by medicine and also presents an argument for how we can live with dementia: the ways patients can reclaim their autonomy and redefine their sense of self, how families can support their loved ones, and the innovative reforms we can make as a society that would give caregivers and patients a better quality of life.
Rich in science, history, and unforgettable characters, The Problem of Alzheimerâs takes us inside laboratories, patientsâ homes, caregiversâ support groups, progressive care communities, and Jason Karlawishâs own practice at the Penn Memory Center.