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Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging

NEW! This comprehensive, easy-to-read handbook helps people who provide at-home care learn about and cope with the changes and challenges brought on by Alzheimer's disease.

Tips for Caregivers

Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at home is a difficult task and can become overwhelming at times. Each day brings new challenges as the caregiver copes with changing levels of ability and new patterns of behavior. These tips from Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging may help in overcoming some of those challenges.

• Understanding AD
• Caring for a Person with AD
  • How AD Changes People
  • Helping Others Understand AD
  • Health, Legal, and Financial Issues
  • Keeping the Person Safe
  • Providing Everyday Care
  • Adapting Activities for People with AD
• Caring for Yourself
  • How to Take Care of Yourself
• When You Need Help
  • Getting Help with Caregiving
  • Finding the Right Place for a Person with AD
• The Medical Side of AD
  • Treating AD Symptoms and Behaviors
  • Common Medical Problems
• Coping with the Last Stages of AD
  • Coping with Late-Stage AD
  • End-of-Life Care
• Summary
• Other Information
  • Joining a Clinical Trial
  • Medicines Discussed in this Guide
  • Words to Know

Home Safety

(For the full text, go to Home Safety; also available in Spanish)

The information in this section is for those who provide in-home care for people with AD or related disorders. Caregivers can improve home safety by identifying potential problems in the home and offering possible solutions to help prevent accidents.

• General Safety Concerns
• Is it Safe to Leave the Person with AD Alone?
• Home Safety Room-By-Room
• Home Safety Behavior-By-Behavior
• Impairment of the Senses
• Driving
• Warning Signs of Unsafe Driving
• Natural Disaster Safety
• Who Would Take Care of the Person with AD if Something Happened to You?

Support groups

The Alzheimer's Association has chapters nationwide that provide educational programs and support groups for caregivers and family members of people with AD. To find your local chapter, go to the Alzheimer's Association Web site www.alz.org or call toll-free
1-800-272-3900.

Other questions?

Call 1-800-438-4380 or e-mail our information specialists.