Key Challenges for Fighting Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Association Says Insufficient Funding and Inadequate Treatment Are Among the Challenges

Nov. 8, 2011 -- The Alzheimer's Association in a new report has identified 10 "critical challenges" that need to be addressed by the nation to combat the growth and devastating impact of Alzheimer's disease.

The challenges include lack of funding and problems with diagnosing Alzheimer's.

An estimated 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's now, and that number is expected to grow to 16 million by the year 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Because of this looming health crisis, President Obama signed into law the National Alzheimer's Project Act on Jan. 4, with the aim of creating a national strategic plan to address what the Alzheimer's Association described as an "escalating crisis."

The Alzheimer's Association's report, "Alzheimer's from the Frontlines: Challenges a National Alzheimer's Plan Must Address," was produced to help the government develop its strategy.

Findings of the report were based on input from 43,000 people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.

In all, the Alzheimer's Association hosted 132 public input sessions nationwide, involving people with Alzheimer's, caregivers, researchers, community leaders, and health care professionals.

"We want to make sure the administration is aware of the challenges that emerged, that we heard frequently, during the public input process," Alzheimer's Association spokeswoman Toni Williams tells WebMD. "We thought it would be a good idea to open it up to the public. We are hoping this helps to inform the advisory council and Secretary [Kathleen] Sebelius [of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] in formulating a plan."

The 10 challenges highlighted by the Alzheimer's Association are:

Lack of public knowledge and awareness of the diseaseInsufficient fundingProblems in detecting and diagnosing the diseasePoor dementia careInadequate treatmentsSpecific challenges faced by diverse communitiesSpecific challenges faced by those with younger-onset Alzheimer'sUnprepared caregiversIll-equipped communitiesMounting costs of care

The new report shows that costs relating to Alzheimer's care and treatment will surpass $1 trillion by mid-century unless the current trajectory of the disease changes.

"Individuals, families and communities are at the center of the escalating Alzheimer's crisis," Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association, says in a news release.

Americans who participated in the sessions aimed at identifying challenges want the nation's leaders to know that the disease changes lives, and that "they want and deserve a transformational plan that urgently addresses their needs," Johns says.

Robert Egge, vice president of the Alzheimer's Association, says the input sessions made it clear that people are not looking for symbolic acts but the start of "real, transformational action."

He says, "we hope those developing the National Alzheimer's Plan will be inspired and guided by the challenges, experiences and needs echoed throughout this report."

Egge says many Americans know little about the disease, and education is needed about warning signs of the disease and incorrect perceptions about it. Also, though the goal is a cure, better treatments are needed, he says, and more funding for research.

Currently, caregivers are isolated and uninformed about the disease. He says African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to develop Alzheimer's, and less likely to be diagnosed.

The new plan, he says, "must address disparities in diverse and underserved communities."

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Your Home: Fighting To Keep What's Worth Fighting For - With A Loan Modification

Background on loan modifications in the recent years

The recent and continued loss of homes in the United States in the face of economic difficulties is perhaps the biggest tragedy associated with the current financial crisis. Sinking home values have made it extremely difficult for millions of Americans to hold on to their homes because they can't refinance their mortgage nor sell their homes if they can't afford to make their current mortgage payments. In other words, lower home values mean that the selling and refinancing of homes becomes increasingly hard to accomplish.

That said, many homeowners have decided to short sell their homes rather than to keep their homes because either they do not have to keep a home with negative equity, or they failed at modifying the terms of their mortgage. Walking away makes the most financial sense when and if the negative equity is too large, and the goal of the homeowners is not long even to grant a break-even point in the near future. At the same time, others have refused to lose their homes and are committed to taking all the necessary steps to ensure that they do not have to do so.

For those who intend to keep their homes, loan modification programs have become one of the primary means of accomplishing it. These programs are aimed at creating more affordable mortgage payments, but these programs can often be challenging to qualify for due to an incredibly complicated application process.

How Banks Handle Loan Modifications

Banks often make the application process very complex. Either the banks do not have the proper infrastructure in place, or they are giving people the run-around on purpose.

Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for A Loan Modification

The other issue is that many people apply to restructure their loan without a proper understanding of what the process entails, and what will be required of them. This can delay a positive response to an application for many months, or even make it impossible to receive for many people. The reality is that those who are not pre-qualified will not receive the approval they are hoping for. Here are almost two critical criteria for qualification:

The homeowner needs to demonstrate to investors and lenders that modifying their existing loan is more cost-effective than foreclosure. To help with this, the FDIC has put in place a Net Present Value (NPV) analysis of a loan modification.
They also need to demonstrate their ability to cope with their new mortgage payments. Simple English: if the borrower is not able to make the new lowered mortgage payment, he/she won't receive the modification.

Having advanced knowledge of whether or not you qualify for loan modification is therefore key. For those who are not pre-qualified, taking responsible measures to adjust their budgets could improve their chances of being approved, granted this is their goal. The more informed a consumer is, the more empowered he or she is to make the correct decision.

If you're considering applying for loan modification, it's important that you evaluate and receive guidance for the ratios that are critical in your loan analysis for modification. These ratios include pre and post modification ratios.

Instead of trying to do this on your own which certainly requires some strong skills in Mathematics, it is best to seek self-help that provides an easy solution, unbiased and conflict-free analysis when assessing your loan for a modification.

Caal loan modification software is designed to simplify the process and increase the chances of success and approval.

For more information please visit https://www.mycaal.com/

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