National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Alzheimer's Caregivers is the National Institute on Aging
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Alzheimer's Caregivers
Caring for someone who has Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be stressful and overwhelming. It's important to take care of yourself. Ask for and accept help.
Talk to the doctor. Find out what treatments might help control symptoms or address behavior problems. Find a support group. Others who have "been there" may be able to help and will understand.
If there are times of day that the person is less confused or more cooperative, take advantage of that in daily routines. Consider using adult day care or respite services. These offer a break with the peace of mind that the patient is being taken care of. Begin to plan for the future. This may include
- Getting financial and legal documents in order
- Looking into assisted living or nursing homes
- Finding out what your health insurance and Medicare will cover
NIH: National Institute on Aging
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Start Here
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About Alzheimer's Disease: Caregiving(National Institute on Aging)
- Caregiver Stress(Alzheimer's Association)
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About Alzheimer's Disease: Caregiving
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Alzheimer's Care: Simple Tips for Daily Tasks(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Alzheimer's Caregiving(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
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Caregiver Guide: Tips for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's Disease(National Institute on Aging)
- Also available in Spanish
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Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease(National Institute on Aging)
- PDF
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Caring for Someone with Alzheimer's
(National Institute on Aging)
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Coping
- Caregiver Stress(Alzheimer's Association)
- Caregiving and Depression(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- Also available in Spanish
- Changes in Relationships(Alzheimer's Association)
- Dementia, Caregiving, and Controlling Frustration(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- Grief and Loss(Alzheimer's Association)
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Related Issues
- 10 Tips for Traveling with Your Loved One(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- Alzheimer's Care Topics(Alzheimer's Association)
- Alzheimer's Caregiving: How to Ask for Help(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Alzheimer's: Consider Options for Long-Term Care(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Alzheimer's: How to Help a Caregiver(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Caregiver's Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- Also available in Spanish
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Caregiving
(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- PDF
- Hiring In-Home Help(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- Also available in Spanish
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Holiday Hints for Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers(National Institute on Aging)
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Home Safety for People with Alzheimer's Disease(National Institute on Aging)
- Also available in Spanish
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Hospitalization Happens: A Guide to Hospital Visits for Individuals with Memory Loss(National Institute on Aging)
- Respite Care(Administration on Aging)
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So Far Away: Twenty Questions for Long-Distance Caregivers(National Institute on Aging)
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Tutorials
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Caring for Someone with Alzheimer's(National Institute on Aging)
- Return to top
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Caring for Someone with Alzheimer's
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Videos
- Alzheimer's Project(Alzheimer's Association)
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Caring for a Spouse(National Institute on Aging)
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Help from Outside Sources(National Institute on Aging)
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Making a Memory Book(National Institute on Aging)
- Return to top
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Financial Issues
- BenefitsCheckUp(National Council on Aging)
- Medicare Basics: A Guide for Families and Friends of People with Medicare(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - PDF
- Paying for Healthcare(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- Questions and Answers about Medicare for Caregivers(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- Return to top
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Alzheimer disease(National Library of Medicine)
- Return to top
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Genetics Home Reference: Alzheimer disease
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Efficacy of psychosocial intervention in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease:...
- Article: Caregivers' deepest feelings in living with Alzheimer's disease: a Ricoeurian...
- Article: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of modafinil for the treatment...
- Alzheimer's Caregivers -- see more articles
- Return to top
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- CareFinder: Glossary(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
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Directories
- AAAs/ Title VI Agencies (Area Agencies on Aging)(National Association of Area Agencies on Aging)
- Alzheimer's Disease Resource Locator(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- Family Care Navigator: State-by-State Help for Family Caregivers(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- Senior Housing Finder(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
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Organizations
- Alzheimer's Association
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Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center(National Institute on Aging)
- Family Caregiver Alliance
- Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation
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National Institute on Aging
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Law and Policy
- Legal & Financial Planning(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- Legal Issues in Planning for Incapacity(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- Also available in Spanish
- Monitoring Abuse(Alzheimer's Association) - PDF
- National Family Caregiver Support Program(Administration on Aging)
- Return to top
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Statistics
- Caregiving for Alzheimer's Disease or Other Dementia(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Return to top
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MedlinePlus Magazine
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Patient Handouts
- Taking Care Yourself(Administration on Aging) - PDF
- Return to top
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
- Chinese - Simplified (简体中文)
- Chinese - Traditional (繁體中文)
- Spanish (español)
Alzheimer's Caregivers - Multiple Languages
