JEN Research presented in Paris

The results of a JEN study of the spouses of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Paris, France. The study identified spouses of Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD spouses) and compared them with a matched sample of spouses of Medicare beneficiaries without Alzheimer’s disease. Total Medicare expenditures per month for the AD spouses were significantly higher for the spouses in the control group. Differences in costs were reflected three months prior to the initial Alzheimer’s diagnosis, suggesting that quantifiable spousal caregiver burden begins before individuals are diagnosed with the disease. The research was funded by Lilly Research Laboratories, and the results were presented at a poster session at the conference in July 2011.

See the poster here.