Serving primary caregivers of persons with Alzheimer\u27s disease : an integrated service delivery model

Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) is the most common form of nontreatable dementia, a syndrome which reflects a progressive and global impairment of memory, intellect, and other cognitive abilities. This devastating condition directly touches the lives of as many as 10 million Americans, including not only persons suffering from the disease but their primary caregivers and other family members as well. At present the course of AD cannot be halted or reversed, and no cure is known. The problem, then, is how to most effectively respond to the psychosocial needs of primary caregivers in order to help them provide the best possible care for a loved one with AD