Industry News | 03.10.25
As Baby Boomers Turn 80, There Aren't Enough Doctors to Treat 'Emergency Levels' of Dementia Patients
By Teddy Durgin
MarketWatch (02/10/25) Henderson, Jennifer
With the lifetime risk of dementia on the rise, impacting an estimated 1 million adults by 2060, the ability of the current healthcare system to care for older adults with the disease is likely to be more difficult. The oldest Baby Boomers will turn age 80 this year, and Elizabeth Edgerly, senior director of community programs and services with the Alzheimer’s Association, says, "As the baby boomers age, the disconnect between supply and demand is growing larger." She notes that 20 states have fewer than 10 neurologists for every 10,000 people with dementia, which is the Alzheimer's Association's current benchmark for adequate care. Also according to Edgerly, the United States healthcare system needs three times as many geriatricians as it currently has to handle its expected dementia care needs by 2050. Nationally, the average wait time to see a neurologist is 34 days, with 18 percent of patients waiting more than 90 days to see a neurologist. This can delay or even eliminate the possibility of treatment.
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