Preparing the health care workforce to care for adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Abstract

In the United States, one in nine people ages sixty-five and older and one-third of people ages eighty-five and older have Alzheimer's disease. The number of cases of Alzheimer's disease is projected to triple by 2050, from 5.0 million in 2013 to 13.8 million. This will challenge the health care workforce, which is already inadequate in both size and training. We assessed what is likely to be an increasing shortage of physicians, nurses, and social workers with specialized training in geriatrics and, more specifically, in the care of people with dementia. We highlight the limited training of health care professionals in best practices of dementia care and chronic disease management. To address these shortfalls, we recommend the dissemination of team-based models of care that integrate health and social services; expansion of education loan forgiveness and faculty development programs to attract students into clinician-educator careers focusing on Alzheimer's disease; inclusion of curricula specific to the disease in all health professions training; expansion of federal programs to train existing workers; and increased compensation for the direct care workforce.

Keywords: Chronic Care; Elderly; Long-Term Care; Primary Care; Workforce Issues.