People with dementia and their carers are being hit hard by the economic downturn, according to a US expert on hospice care and palliative medicine.

Dr Zoë Ann Lewis told a carers conference in Florida that many American families caring for someone in the moderate to advanced stages of Alzheimer’s are “hitting the breaking point”.

“In this economy we are seeing financial barriers that prevent families from accessing help for their loved ones with Alzheimer's,” said Dr Lewis.

“For many confronting this disease, the finances targeted for their golden years evaporated and families are getting desperate with fewer options if they are caring for a parent at home.”

A keen Alzheimer’s education activist, Dr Lewis has warned that without comprehensive planning, the cost of Alzheimer’s disease could blow out.

“Families caring for those with AD simply run out of money,” she said.

“When the money dries up, then the burden is passed onto the state and federal governments for aid, so in the long run, we simply can't afford to ignore the fundamental need for basic education about this disease at the time of diagnosis.”

Dr Lewis has recently written a book for family carers called I Hope They Know...The Essential Handbook on Alzheimer's Disease and Care.

It covers a diverse range of fields including, allied health, nursing, art and music therapy and international carers associations.

Translators are currently working on a Spanish translation of the book and there are plans to make it available in Russian, Chinese, French Creole and Portuguese.