In recent testimony before Congress, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor focused a welcome spotlight on Alzheimer’s disease. As the huge cohort of Baby Boomers ages, the illness promises to present a growing challenge to the U.S. health-care system.

Alzheimer’s, which afflicts sufferers with dementia, grows more common with age. Nearly one in two people over 85 has the disease; by 2050, an estimated 16 million Americans are expected to be sufferers. That’s more than three times the current number.

Typically, Alzheimer’s patients become so disoriented that they are unable to care for themselves. For families, the difficulty of providing for these loved ones can be overwhelming. Justice O’Connor resigned from her position on the nation’s highest court in 2005 to care for her husband, John; he now resides in an assisted-care center in Phoenix.

Justice O’Connor, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and several prominent scientists have formed the Alzheimer’s Study Group, which plans to issue a report next year proposing a national strategy. It is likely to call for a two-pronged approach that involves better support for caregivers and greater investment in research. Addressing the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Justice O’Connor rightly called for action on both fronts.

A recent report from the Institute of Medicine found a shortage of specialists trained in dealing with the elderly. It also found that Medicare is poorly structured to deal with the chronic conditions elderly people are apt to develop, and which call for managing rather than cures. As 78 million Baby Boomers prepare to turn 65, the system cries out for an overhaul.

An additional challenge is to upgrade nursing-home care. A report last month by the Government Accountability Office found that nursing-home inspectors routinely fail to note serious problems. This is the case even though about a fifth of U.S. nursing homes were cited last year for serious deficiencies.

In focusing on Alzheimer’s, Justice O’Connor has touched on one of the more emotional aspects of aging. But by speaking out, she could well mobilize Americans to confront a spectrum of age-related issues.