More than 135,000 Massachusetts residents aged 65 or older had Alzheimer's Disease in 2020, according to a new report. That number represents about 11% of the state's population in that age group, and an increase of roughly 5,000 from the year before.
While those numbers may seem jarring, they are in line with the larger national trend, according to the annual report from the Alzheimer's Association. The non-profit says it also reflects a growing demand for healthcare professionals to treat this patient population.
"It's largely a product of an aging population, particularly the baby boomer generation," said Jim Wessler, CEO of the Massachusetts and New Hampshire chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. "They are now moving into their 60s, 70s and 80s. And age, right now, is the greatest risk determinant for Alzheimer's."
Over 1,500 Massachusetts residents died from Alzheimer's in 2021, making it the 7th leading cause of death in the state. Nationwide, it's the 5th leading cause of death.
The association says the disease also takes a toll on those providing care for loved ones with Alzheimer's.
"Over half of Massachusetts dementia caregivers report at least one chronic condition," Wessler said. "Just because you're a caregiver doesn't mean you don't have your own aches and pains and illnesses. And 20% report having depression."
Massachusetts doesn't have enough health care providers to meet the growing demand, according to the report. The state will need to increase its number of geriatricians by 62% in order to meet the expected need in 2050, the report says. And hiring 27% more home health and personal care aides will be necessary in just the next six years to care for Alzheimer's patients.
"It suggests that the state needs to take some actions to try to address some of the workforce crisis that we're dealing with," Wessler said.
The Alzheimer's Association is supporting several bills before the state legislature that would incentivize careers in caring for people with dementia.
There are signs of hope though.
"At long last, we are now calling this the age of treatment," Wessler said. Last year, the FDA approved a new drug called Leqembi that's been shown to slow cognitive decline, and Medicare agreed to cover the medication. But Wessler said the workforce shortage in Massachusetts is slowing the rollout of treatment.
"We don't have enough specialists that can do a formal diagnosis," he said. "We don't have the capability within primary care yet to screen and diagnose, and we don't yet have the adequate staffing and systems within health care providers to deliver this at the scale that it needs to be delivered."
As the toll from Alzheimer's grows nationally and in Massachusetts, it's disproportionately impacting people of color, Wessel said.
"African Americans are about two times as likely to have Alzheimer's as Caucasians — and Latinos, about one and a half times," Wessel said. "A lot of that is intertwined with cardiovascular risk factors. We know stroke and heart disease and diabetes increase your risk for Alzheimer's disease. And those conditions are disproportionately found in those populations."
