Alzheimer's Disease Management and Caregiver Care

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that involves cognitive decline, memory loss, and personality changes that lead to a patient’s inability to perform simple daily tasks. There are pharmacological treatments that can manage the symptoms of AD, but the patient will invariably need attention and care from a daily caregiver. This course will generally describe pharmacotherapy, patient and caregiver characteristics, counseling and support opportunities, and the need to provide respite care to the caregiver. Treatment plans for patients with AD involve a patient-pharmacy team interaction. Pharmacy staff can connect with other healthcare team members and provide resources and assistance to caregivers as they help manage a patient’s condition and medications.