Alzheimer's Disease Management and Caregiver Care

Course overview

The factors causing Alzheimer's disease are not fully known but likely include age, brain changes, family history, and lifestyle. Growing scientific evidence shows that healthy lifestyle habits reduce people's risk for Alzheimer's. Clinicians understand that early diagnosis and intervention are imperative to assist patients with Alzheimer's disease. Early diagnosis preserves daily function, slows cognitive decline, and delays disease progression. Memory problems are often the first symptom of cognitive decline. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, treatment aims to manage symptoms and maintain brain health. Ongoing clinical trials are focusing on more treatments for preclinical and early stages. Caregivers are essential to medication management for patients. Burdened with maintaining or improving the quality of life of a loved one and tasked with caring for patients with a progressive disease, caregivers face their own challenges. Counseling caregivers offers the education and support necessary to optimize patient care and well-being.