Despite recent promising advances in Alzheimer’s disease research at UCSF, a “dramatic increase between now and 2020” is expected in the number of San Franciscans living with dementias, according to experts.

One out of every two people aged 85 and older has some type of dementia and this age group is the fastest growing segment of the population. Currently, 18 percent of San Franciscans are over 60. Within three years, this figure is expected to swell to 24 percent. About 10 percent of individuals over age 60 have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

At a press conference hosted by the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS), an expert panel, appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom, convened Feb. 24 to present its 10-year plan to optimize care for patients with dementias.

This initiative, “San Francisco’s Strategy for Excellence in Dementia Care,” is the culmination of a yearlong collaboration among experts in the fields of neuroscience, health care, aging, care-giving and supportive services. The innovative plan is needed to prepare for the approaching “age wave,” which “may bring a potential crisis in Alzheimer’s and dementia care” to San Francisco, Newsom said.

[See related coverage: Battling California's Alzheimer's crisis]

The goal of the strategy is to transform the current system’s “organizational, fiscal and regulatory barriers” into one that is “comprehensive, coordinated and integrated,” enabling a “seamless transition” to a network of patient care and support services, according to Anne Hinton, executive director of the San Francisco DAAS.

It is hoped that the strategy will provide a model for dementia programs elsewhere, said Kathy Kelly, executive director of the Family Caregiver Alliance.

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