We are all going to be caring for people with dementia

The Baby Boom Generation is coming to a crossroads, and so are their families.

This enormous demographic bubble that came to redefine Long Island in the wake of World War II is aging at a time when there is an emerging crisis in staffing the assisted-living facilities and nursing homes that — for many aging boomers — were meant to be their refuge in old age.

Given that the leading edge of this demographic has now entered their late 70s and early 80s, there is the daunting reality that an estimated 1 in 13 people between ages 65 and 84 will likely face cognitive issues. With 7 million Americans over age 65 now living with Alzheimer’s, that number is expected to double in 25 years as that boomer demographic continues to age.

The trend is already becoming apparent on Long Island where some 60,000 people are diagnosed with dementia. Applying the national projection to Long Island, we can conservatively expect that number to double, with 120,000 of our neighbors living with dementia by 2050.

As professional staffing levels become problematic, the burden of caring for those facing this disease will likely fall on their families, many of whom will readily admit that they are profoundly unprepared to guide loved ones through this journey.

We will not be alone. Nationwide, some 86% of Americans diagnosed with dementia lack formal support, according to a study released by the Yale School of Public Health. Researchers warn that “the need for professional services is critical … but the cost of formal care often exceeds the financial means of older adults.”

The health care community recognizes the pending shortfall, encouraging more medical students to specialize in geriatrics, neurology and memory care. There is also an effort to expand telemedicine and remote care, but while all of these efforts might provide support at some point in the future, many families need support now.

The stress and financial challenges of home-based caregiving are also not insignificant. Families can suffer “burnout,” harming the quality of life for both caregivers and the loved one navigating dementia.

Recognizing the challenge, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, or AFA, has recently opened The Barbara Rabinowitz Education & Resource Center in Amityville. It is a community-based support facility that is the first of its kind on Long Island, offering a broad range of assistance programs for those who have a family member diagnosed with dementia and for those who are experiencing the disease.

The 11,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art center offers free daily programming that includes music, creative arts, movement and motion, and brain games. The center also offers free, confidential memory screenings to Long Islanders of all ages, with no minimum age or insurance prerequisites.

A key component of this center is helping families on how best to relate, comfort and care for those with dementia. Elements range from finding music that relieves the anxiety and agitation suffered by many individuals with dementia to acclimating them to mass transit by having them sit in railroad seats donated by the MTA/LIRR.

The nation’s elderly population will be twice what it is today. If the current census of 87 Long Island nursing homes and 90 assisted living facilities find proper staffing difficult now, one can only imagine what stresses will be felt by families in that not-so-distant future. AFA’s community center is a model for how the Island will need to anticipate and address the increase in dementia among our current baby boomers and generations to follow, acting as a lighthouse for those families facing a most cruel darkness.

This guest essay reflects the views of Charles Fuschillo, President of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and a former state senator.