According to the Alzheimer's Association's 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, individuals with Alzheimer's or other dementia have health care costs that are three times higher than other people age 65 and older.

People with Alzheimer's rely heavily on hospital, nursing home and other health and long-term care services, meaning high costs for Medicare, Medicaid and millions of families.

Most people with Alzheimer's also have one or more additional serious medical condidtions. Alzheimer's complicates how these other medical conditions are treated, which drives up costs.

According to the Facts & Figures 2006 report, Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes plus Alzheimer's or another dementia had 64% more hospital stays than those with diabetes and no Alzheimer's, and their average per person Medicare costs were $20,655 compared to $12,979 for beneficiaries with diabetes but no Alzheimer's or dementia.

Family members provide in-home care for about 70% of people with Alzheimer's, according to the story. Nearly 10 million caregivers provided 8.5 billion of unpaid care valued at $94 billion.