RAND Dementia Blueprint

senior being pushed in wheelchair by man

Photo by Kadmy/Fotolia

Dementia affects a large and growing number of adults. As the condition worsens, costs of care—along with caregivers' emotional and physical stress—mount. Currently, there is no cure.

A 2013 RAND study quantified the rising costs of dementia, estimating that the majority of costs were attributable to long-term care, not medical care. The RAND Dementia Blueprint extends this work by examining gaps in the delivery, workforce, and financing of long-term care for persons with dementia and their caregivers to identify high-impact policy options and areas where additional research would be beneficial.

What's New

  • Report

    Improving Dementia Long-Term Care: A Policy Blueprint

    As millions of Americans struggle to help loved ones with dementia, policymakers should consider more ways to improve long-term services and supports for the soaring number of people with the debilitating condition and their caregivers.

    Jun 23, 2014

  • Research Brief

    What Can Be Done About Dementia?

    Policy options to improve dementia long-term care include those that increase public awareness and promote earlier detection, improve access to and quality of services, increase support to family caregivers, and reduce the cost burden.

More Publications »

From the RAND Blog

  • Struggling with Dementia

    The costs of dementia are staggering. A recent RAND analysis quantifies the scope of the problem in the United States and serves as a wake-up call to policymakers everywhere.

    Aug 10, 2015

More Blog Posts »