Dementia is a general term that describes a group of diseases associated with loss of memory, judgment, language, complex motor skills and other intellectual functions; usually caused by permanent damage to nerve cells or neurons in the brain (Alzheimer's Association, 2014). There are several types of dementia, including: Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, mixed dementia, Parkinson's disease, frontotempal dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, hydrocephalus with normal pressure, Huntingtos disease and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (Alzheimer's Association, 2014). ). Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia and accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. More than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease in the United States and every 68 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's disease. At this rate and with the aging of the baby boomer generation, this figure is expected to triple by 2050. In 2013, Alzheimer's disease had an average cost of $210 billion and by 2050, this figure is expected to reach $1.2 trillion. dollars. The Centers for Disease Control attributed about 84,000 deaths to Alzheimer's disease in 2010, but a new report puts the number at 503,400 among people 75 and older. This places it in third place, behind heart disease and cancer, and well above chronic lung disease, strokes and accidents, which occupy third, fourth and fifth places. It could therefore now be classified as the third cause of death in the United States, and not the sixth as previously believed. (Alzheimer's Association, 2013) (Centers for Disease Control, 2010) Alzheimer's disease is a sleeping giant compared to other leading causes of death that have received more funding over the years. While deaths from these diseases have been reduced due to...... middle of article...... alzheimer.htmChaves, E. (2008). Stress and adaptation in older adults with Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18, 457-465. Kerwin, D. (April 12, 2009). Practical diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease dementia in primary care settings: an evidence-based approach. Dementia screening. Accessed April 17, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3869604/Leading Health Indicators. (nd). - Healthy People 2020. Accessed April 17, 2014 at http://healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/default.aspxOverview | Alzheimer’s Association. (nd). Overview | Alzheimer’s Association. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_1973.aspVirginia A. Henderson (1897-1996) Inducted in 1996. (n.d.). Virginia A. Henderson (1897-1996) Inducted in 1996. Accessed April 17, 2014 from http://www.nursingworld.org/VirginiaAHenderson