March 19th, 2014
By: Karen Weintraub
Alzheimer’s takes a disproportionate toll on women, according to a report released Wednesday from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Women are far more likely to develop the fatal disease than men: one in six women over 65 will get it during their lifetime, compared with one in 11 men. And, not surprisingly, women are more likely to be caregivers for someone with Alzheimer’s, and to pay a bigger personal and professional price for that care than men do.
“This burden is felt across the board,” said Angela Geiger, chief strategy officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, which will soon launch an advertising campaign to raise awareness about the cost of Alzheimer’s on women.