Study: Alzheimer's Disease Costly To Business

Alzheimer's disease costs U.S. businesses $33.16 billion a year, reports a study by the Alzheimer's Assn. The study found that absences from the workplace by caregivers cost companies $7.89 billion a year; lost productivity from these absences adds $13.22 billion. Among other costs, the biggest ($7.09 billion annually) is business' share of health-care, health insurance, Alzheimer's research, and Medicare and Medicaid spending. "Businesses are largely unaware of their annual costs from Alzheimer's disease, primarily because of the popular belief that the disease affects people after their worklife. But that overlooks the employed caregivers among the 19 million Americans who have a family member with the disease," comments Ross Koppel, the study's author. The study was released in conjunction with the National Assn. of Manufacturers.