nearly 15mlm help care for Alzheimer’s patients

    BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The number of Alzheimer patients is growing rapidly, so is that of unpaid¹ caregivers（照顾者看护人）, says a report released Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association.
    Nearly 15 million caregivers, most of them family members but also friends, are providing billions of hours of unpaid care for Alzheimer's patients and other forms of dementia（痴呆） in the U.S. — 37 percent more than last year, the report says.
    Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the nation, and the only one among the top 10 that have no prevention or cure, says William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association.
    However, if people were more aware of early symptoms and were diagnosed sooner, then planning could help ease stress on patients and caregivers, according to Beth Kallmyer, senior director of constituent² services of Alzheimer's Association.
    "The toll³ on families is devastating," says Kallmyer, "Stress is extremely high, and one-third are experiencing depression."The time and stress of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient takes a physical toll, translating into nearly 8 billion dollars worth of extra health care costs for caregivers, the report says.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

2 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。