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GERIATRIC
CARE

An early and documented diagnosis leads to
better outcomes for individuals with Alzheimer’s
and their caregivers:

• A formal diagnosis allows individuals and their caregivers to
have access to available treatments, build a care team, par-
ticipate in support services and enroll in clinical trials.

• Participating in planning early in the disease process allows
individuals with Alzheimer’s to create advance directives re-
garding their care and finances – so that their wishes can be
carried out when they are no longer cognitively able to make
such decisions.

• Early diagnosis also allows individuals with the disease and
their caregivers to better manage medications, receive coun-
seling, and address driving and safety issues in advance.

• Undertaking the diagnostic process early potentially allows
cognitive impairment to be reversed in some people. Re-
search suggests that the cognitive impairment in nine per-
cent of individuals experiencing dementia-like symptoms is
due to a potentially reversible cause, such as depression or a
vitamin B12 deficiency.

Primary care physicians are the important gatekeepers to as-
sessment and treatment and a respected link/referral to com-
munity resources. Support, services, and education for patients
with dementia and their family members/caregivers are freely
available in the community.

For caregivers whose loved ones receive a diagnosis, some
have informed us that their doctors did not know about avail-
able services. Instead, caregivers found out about us through a
friend, neighbor, social worker or by researching online. Dis-
closure of diagnosis and knowing about the Alzheimer’s Asso-
ciation from early on in the diagnosis can reduce caregiver
stress, increase the quality of life for people with dementia, em-
power caregivers and connect them to important resources.

For most caregivers, simply knowing they are not alone and
that the Alzheimer’s Association is there for support is enough.

For more information go to alz.org.

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