Why are we working so hard and spending so much money trying to cure Alzheimer's disease?

Question

So old people can wake up to the fact that they are about to spend the last days of their life in a nursing home?

Wouldn't the money be better spent on curing AIDS in babies?

Andrew should have read the whole questions. Dying of AIDS ain't no picnic either, pal?

Or are you some rich, white, heterosexual male who's never been touched by AIDS and doesn't have to care about people who have??

Answer 1

Idiot. My dad has Alzheimers. Physically, he is in perfect health. Physiologically, he is in perfect health. He is only in a nursing home because he needs 24 hour supervision. If he didn't have it? He would be at home. They are looking for a CURE for FUTURE cases. What if your mom or dad got it? It comes on very slowly, you don't wake up with it. Maybe you'll get it...................Sorry but I go SEE my dad. I can see him, I can touch him and he has NO IDEA IT'S ME. It is one of the worst things you can watch someone go through. He gave me EVERYTHING growing up and there is NOTHING I can do for him.
And I think Bill Gates Foundation has donated 30 billion to fight HIV? How much more money does ONE cause need? What about cancer? MS? Autism?

Answer 2

Aids should be cured in everyone, not just babies.
And obviously you've never seen anyone you love disintegrate into Alzheimer's. It's a terrible disease. And even if going through it wasn't horrible, and watching someone go through it wasn't horrible, the toll it takes on insurance companies, medicare and private citizens financially is absolutely horrifying. If Alzheimer's went away tomorrow there'd be a lot more money to worry about Aids babies.
I don't understand how you can have compassion for babies, and not for other segments of society.

Answer 3

1. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. One of the tragedies of Alzheimer's disease is when the victim should be reaching the summit of their wisdom and knowledge, the mind deteriorates.
2. It is extraordinarily expensive to care for large numbers of people who are demented and cannot care for themselves.
3. As we learn more and more about the disease, a real treatment is becoming closer and closer to reality.
4. Lots of money should be, and is spent for the improving the treatment of AIDS also. There should be enough money spent on medical research to improve the treatment and cure rate of every disease, particularly those that are public health problems.

Answer 4

I guess it`s because it affects more old people than we ever thought. Since life expectancy has gone up, many of us are likely to have it. Of course, AIDS is a very serious problem because most people are likely to die until they find a medication to cure it. Cancer is another serious disease. Unfortunately, there are not enough funds for every illness, or they are poorly administered.

Answer 5

Young people get Alzheimers too...and a lot of people end up in the nursing home because of the disease...they would still be in their own home without it.

Answer 6

Where do you get 55 million spent? I mean, I can see lobbyists spending that, but why would it cost any money to vote on something? You are clearly parroting a progressive talking point and you are either lying or are ignorant about the subject.

Answer 7

Losing your mental capacity is a slow, degenerative, horrible way to die. You should be more sensitive. If you've been lucky enough never to have that disease touch your family you should count your blessings.

Answer 8

because Alzheimer's sucks a$$....and not all ppl get it when they are "old" some are as young as 50ish. What are you? 15?....watch your Grandmother die from it and then get some prospective

Answer 9

Because the elderly are the largest market for the pharmaceutical industry.

Answer 10

I had a good answer, but my computer is so slow that by the time the answer sqaure opened up-I forgot what it was.