Final answer:
The number of Alzheimer's patients allowed in a facility is governed by various regulations and standards, ensuring adequate care and safety. The increasing prevalence of the disease highlights the importance of understanding capacity requirements, with numbers expected to rise significantly in the coming decades.
Step-by-step explanation:
Capacity for Alzheimer's Patients in Care Facilities
The specific number of Alzheimer's patients allowed within a care facility is not determined by the prevalence of the disease alone but by regulatory standards, facility resources, and the level of care required by individual patients. A facility must adhere to state and federal regulations that dictate staffing ratios and space requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of patients.
Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia, has seen significant growth in numbers, with 5.4 million Americans affected in 2012 and projections forecast up to 13 million by 2050. The disease's early-onset form, caused by mutations in one of three genes, affects fewer than five percent of patients, with dementia beginning between ages 30 and 60. The late-onset form is more common and may also have a genetic component. Ongoing research, including the discovery of five new genes in 2011, aims to understand the disease's causes, including amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, and to develop a cure.