Older adults represent the fastest growing segment of the United States population, with an expected burgeoning of numbers by 2030, when 68 million Americans will have reached the age of 65 or older. As older adults live longer, the prevalence of cognitive impairment increases, with latest projections suggesting that by 2030, 7.7 million may be diagnosed with the disease, a number greater than the population of 140 of the 236 United Nations countries. As a result, the proportion of nursing home residents with dementia continues to accelerate, with some estimates as high as 74%. The nursing care needs of this rapidly growing population are critical now and will be more so in the years ahead.