080: Alzheimers Disease - America's Healthcare Crisis

Patti welcomes Dr. Jason Karlawish, co-director of the Penn Memory Center, and author of “The Problem of Alzheimer’s – How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It”.  They define the difference between mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s and address the stigma associated with this disease.  America is one of the few western global democracies that has not formulated a national healthcare plan to cover the rising costs associated with caring for individuals suffering from this disease.  Dr. Karlawish identifies the signs to look for in diagnosing this disease and reveals how recent biomedical breakthroughs can spur our healthcare system from failing these patients to saving them.