Alzheimer's Deaths Skyrocket as Patients' Lives 'Upended' by Pandemic

USA Today reports that about 259,250 people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia were expected to die last year in the United States, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Federal data reviewed by the association shows that about 38,000 more people with dementia died unexpectedly through the end of November. Experts suggested some people may have died from undiagnosed cases of COVID-19, as many dementia patients live in congregate care communities that have been epicenters for the virus. Possible underlying factors include a lack of COVID testing, screenings interpreted as false negatives, or declining levels of care during the pandemic. Another possibility is reduced access to medical care caused their ailments to worsen. Perhaps the most significant driver in the increase of deaths of dementia patients is the protocols to keep the coronavirus from spreading and alternations in routine — including a lack of visitors and isolation. Colin Ford with the Michigan chapter of the Alzheimer's Association hopes the COVID-19 vaccines will help alleviate these problems.