*requires Acrobat Reader. Click here to obtain a free copy

MONTGOMERY – Staff with the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Bureau of Geriatric Psychiatry is bracing for the 1.6 million Alabama baby boomers who will require dementia services over the next 10 to 30 years. The number of Alabama citizens over 65 is 582,000 and that number will grow to 785,000 by 2015. "Many of these individuals will require various levels of assistance in daily living," said Dr. Richard Powers, director of the bureau.

Powers pointed out that most individuals with dementia are taken care of by family members today, but he expects that caregiver network to change over the next 15 years, with a shift toward institutional care for dementia patients. "We need to deter that shift in order to save the state millions of dollars," he said. "Our ability to do that depends on appropriate education and training of family caregivers."

Another factor to consider, according to Powers, is a shift in the demographics of professional caregivers. "We have seen a trend among professional caregivers away from providing in-home assistance to agency employment," he said. "Our present situation is difficult," Powers said. "We have growing numbers of dependent elders who have less family to provide services and a dwindling pool of manpower to provide paid services."

The Dementia Education and Training Program is designed to address the challenges Alabama will experience as its population ages. "Our first point of attack is promoting the prevention of dementia," Powers said. Other efforts include, the use of training to help sustain family caregivers, who provide the most cost effective, humane system of care for Alzheimer’s’ patients; a professional education program that focuses on nursing homes and assisted living facilities where many patients reside; a long-term care educational program to promote quality care by nursing staff and other professionals; and middle and high school education programs that help develop understanding and encourage young people to consider a career in long-term care.

For further information about the Dementia Education and Training Program, call 1-800-457-5679.