Whither Palliative Home Care Interventions for Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a major and increasing cause of illness and death in the United States, imposing significant social, economic, and psychological burdens on patients and their caregivers (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2004; Sadick & Wilcock, 2003). Alzheimer’s disease progresses with the aging process. Symptoms include a gradual and steady decline in being oriented, a decrease in memory and ability to participate in everyday activities, and personality changes. In the twentieth century, Alzheimer’s disease became the most frequently identified type of dementia in the United States and Western society (Cohen, 1998; Whitehouse, 2001)