Alzheimer’s Facts for Disability Assistance
Alzheimer’s is a disabling disease that affects millions of Americans. It was recently added to the Social Security Compassionate Allowances program list of medical conditions for disability benefits.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association website:
Is a progressive and fatal brain disease.
As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Learn more: Warning Signs and Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Is the most common form of dementia.
Dementia is a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. Learn more: Related Dementias.
Has no current cure.
But treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. There is an accelerating worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing. Learn more about recent progress in Alzheimer research funded by the Alzheimer’s Association in the Research section.
To find out more about applying for medical conditions under the Compassionate Allowances program click here.