Some Alzheimer’s Disease researchers in the region are working to find drug-free treatments as the number of patients in Ohio is expected to reach a quarter million by 2025.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, family members and volunteers provide more than $8 billion in unpaid care annually in Ohio. That figure is expected to increase as Baby Boomers age. Seniors age 65 and older with the disease increased from 200,000 statewide in 2000 to 230,000 in 2010.

Alzheimer’s is among the most serious aging concerns because it has no treatment, cure or prevention, said Eric VanVlymen, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter.

“It’s a blessing people are living longer, but then you can hit more road blocks,” he said.

According to the Ohio Department of Aging, Ohio’s population age 60 and older is expected to increase 25 percent by 2020 and almost double by 2040.

The Butler, Warren & Clinton Counties chapter of The Alzheimer’s Association will host its Walk to End Alzheimer’s Saturday in West Chester Twp. It is the organization’s major fundraising event of the year and can account for up to one-third of donations annually.

Those donations help fuel research at institutions like Wright State and the University of Cincinnati. Officials at both schools said the researching trend is the exploration of non-drug methods to treat Alzheimer’s.

At Wright State, Dr. Govind Bharwani led an effort to create a program called Behavior-Based Ergonomics Therapy, which provides caregivers with a selection of music, videos and other options to help Alzheimer’s and dementia patients stay active with a customized plan.

At UC, Dr. Robert Krikorian is examining the effect of natural methods to build memory function, including blueberries. He is hoping research focuses more on non-drug treatments and says there have been positive results so far.

Krikorian, like officials in all parts of the Alzheimer’s treatment community, stresses that prevention can begin with the simplest aspects of health, like exercise and diet.

“What’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” Krikorian said.

Those efforts come as experts try to increase awareness for early detection of Alzheimer’s, hoping to improve treatment and quality of life.

“We have clients right now who were diagnosed in their late 40s,” said Steve Olding, communications and public policy director for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Cincinnati chapter. “It’s a completely different dynamic. It’s tragic for anyone who is diagnosed, but someone in their late 60s or 70s is not dealing with the same situation as someone in the 50s, who is still away from retirement and has kids in high school.”

With Alzheimer’s, care often requires multiple people. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the number of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers in Ohio was 586,878 in 2010. It estimated the cost of the unpaid care was about $8.1 billion.

“That has effects,” said John Ratliff, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Aging. “They miss work, they call off to be with a family member, and that impacts the workplace. It affects individuals’ economic situations. It’s definitely part of the big picture we’re looking at.”