Dementia costs Dutch society €32 billion last year, study shows

Dementia cost Dutch society an estimated €31.8 billion last year, according to healthcare economist Robbert Huijsman of Erasmus University in a study commissioned by Alzheimer Nederland. In addition to the direct costs for things like nursing home care, the analysis also includes estimates of indirect costs, such as those related to the effort of informal caregivers.

According to those involved, this is the first comprehensive picture of the socio-societal costs of dementia. “This report makes it clear that ‘dementia costs’ are much broader than the healthcare budget,” the researchers said.

Families bear part of the bill when informal caregivers are less able to perform paid work. “Sometimes they become so heavily burdened that they themselves fall ill and consequently have to take time off,” the report states. Employers bear those costs. The report also includes relatively smaller cost items, such as travel expenses to and from a nursing home and the costs of getting medicines delivered at home.

Alzheimer Nederland fears that the pressure on society will only increase further. The number of people with dementia is projected to rise due to the aging population and higher life expectancy, while fewer informal caregivers and care providers are available.

"This report shows that rapid cuts to healthcare boomerang back on informal caregivers and municipalities," said Wiesje van der Flier, Managing Director of Alzheimer Nederland.

The foundation advocates for immediate investments in prevention, new medicines, and “dementia-friendly neighborhoods,” among other things.