Dementia costs higher than for any other disease

Caring for people with dementia in the last five years of life costs more than the care provided to people with cancer, heart disease and other conditions, new research shows.

The data from the National Institute on Aging show that total health care spending on people with dementia was more than $287,000 per person - 57 percent higher than for other diseases. Spending was $183,000 for others.

"This complex analysis lays out the significant health care costs to society and individuals in the last five years of life," said NIA Director Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of the institute.

"It provides an important picture of the risks that families face, particularly those with dementia and those who may be least able to bear major financial risk," he added. "Such insights are critically important as we examine how best to support the aging of the U.S. population."

The researchers looked at data from the Health and Retirement Study, Medicare and Medicaid records and other sources for 1,702 Medicare beneficiaries 70 and older who died between 2005 and 2007. They calculated costs from Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, out-of-pocket spending and informal care.

The research is published in the Oct.27 online issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.