SCRANTON, Pa. — Right now, nearly six million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. That number is expected to nearly triple by 2060.
"It's on the cusp of becoming a worldwide crisis, and so many families are impacted by this disease. I've known people to have to for 20 years; the average is maybe 8 to 15," said Lisa Skinner, a behavioral expert specializing in Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
When it comes to population, the Keystone State is one of the oldest in the country, according to experts, making it all the more important people understand the signs and symptoms now for themselves or loved ones: like forgetting the use or name for things or repeating questions or stories.
"These are all signs of things that are maybe more serious than just normal forgetfulness, not being able to work appliances like they used to or balance a checkbook, even make out a grocery list. That can be overwhelming to somebody with dementia."
Health care professionals say there have been some promising new treatment studies and options recently, giving hope that more can be done to help those coping with dementia, but there are serious concerns for the future.
"Unless a cure is found between now and the next 25 to 30 years, we're going to be seeing a lot of families even more heavily impacted by this disease than we are now."
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