America is facing a looming crisis in caring for rising numbers of Alzheimer\u2019s patients \u2014 and that challenge is likely to be far greater for people in rural areas.<\/p>\n
Alzheimer\u2019s disease affects more than 7 million Americans, a number that\u2019s expected to double by 2060, as the U.S. population ages. <\/p>\n
New research<\/a>, presented by the Society for Risk Analysis, looked at a handful of rural Maryland counties and discovered that while Alzheimer’s deaths in those communities were sometimes between three and four times higher than in urban areas, there were low numbers of actual diagnoses.<\/p>\n It seemed to suggested that cases of Alzheimer\u2019s are being missed due to a lack of doctors and hospitals in certain \u201chot spots,\u201d the society said. <\/p>\n Other reports have revealed similar patterns across the U.S. also tied to a lack of doctors and hospitals in rural areas. A November study,<\/a> from the University of Rochester, found a major drop in family physicians practicing in rural areas, with an 11 percent decline between 2017 and 2023. <\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n A music therapist leads a drum circle of Alzheimer\u2019s disease patients in Maryland in October 2009. A new analysis has found that Alzheimer\u2019s patients in rural communities are underserved (AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n The Northeast was the worst impacted area, according to the researchers, who noted that overall, fewer medical students are choosing family medicine as a specialty.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-92309653.jpg\")
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