Given the demographics, it is clear that each country is facing monumental costs for support services and institutional care, and loss of productivity from those who bear the burden of care in the home, primarily women. In most countries, eighty percent of Alzheimer's sufferers are cared for by unpaid, informal carers across most countries. However, these traditional support systems are severely challenged because of changing family patterns, and the declining ratio between older persons and available younger family carers. Dementia is a 'rising tide' and a 'neglected problem' at the same time. Women and Dementia Dementia is particularly difficult for women.
Studies show that older women are more likely to suffer from the disorder.
There are some indications that the lowering of estrogen levels following menopause may be a contributing factor in Alzheimer's Disease. Another factor may lie simply in the fact that women have longer life expectancies and are therefore more likely to suffer from illnesses related to ageing. There are three women for every two men between the ages of 65 and 79, and the ratio increases with each decade. More than twice as many women are over 80. Women are most often designated as primary carers and, more often than not, are unpaid.