About Alzheimer's Disease: Caregiving
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Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease is physically, emotionally, and financially challenging . The demands of day-to-day care, changing family roles, and difficult decisions about placement in a care facility can be hard to handle. Researchers have learned much about Alzheimer’s caregiving, and studies are testing new ways to support caregivers.
Becoming well-informed about the disease is one important long-term strategy. Programs that teach families about the various stages of Alzheimer’s and about flexible and practical strategies for dealing with difficult caregiving situations provide vital help to those who care for people with Alzheimer’s.
Good coping skills and a strong support network of family and friends also help caregivers handle the stresses of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. For example, staying physically active has physical and emotional benefits.
Some Alzheimer’s caregivers have found that participating in a support group is a critical lifeline. Support groups allow caregivers to take a break, express concerns, share experiences, get tips, and receive emotional comfort. Many organizations sponsor in-person and online support groups , including groups for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s and their families. Support networks can be especially valuable when caregivers face the difficult decision of whether and when to place a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
For more information about at-home caregiving, see Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging.
Caregiving Tip Sheets and Resource Lists
Behaviors
Coping with Agitation and Aggression (PDF, 707K)- Rummaging and Hiding Things (PDF, 484K)
- Hallucinations, Delusions, and Paranoia (PDF, 494K)
- Managing Personality and Behavior Changes (PDF, 748K)
- Managing Alzheimer’s Disease Communication and Behavior Problems: A Resource List
Everyday Care
Daily Activities (PDF, 465K)- Exercise and Physical Activity (PDF, 1.0M)
- Healthy Eating (PDF, 453K)
- Managing Medicines (PDF, 625K)
- Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiving: A Resource List
Communication
- Changes in Communication Skills (PDF, 897K)
- Managing Alzheimer’s Disease Communication and Behavior Problems: A Resource List
Relationships
Helping Family and Friends Understand Alzheimer’s Disease (PDF, 439K)- Helping Kids Understand Alzheimer’s Disease (PDF, 785K)
- Alzheimer's Disease Information for Children and Teens: A Resource List
- Changes in Intimacy and Sexuality (PDF, 644K)
- Intimacy, Sexuality, and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Resource List
Safety
Alzheimer's Disease and Disaster Preparedness- Driving Safety (PDF, 694K)
- Wandering (PDF, 836K)
Caregiver Health
- Caring for Yourself (PDF, 438K)
- Coping with Emotions and Stress in Alzheimer’s Caregiving: A Resource List
Legal and Financial Issues
Middle- and Late-Stage Care
More Information
- View videos and other resources from THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT, a collaborative effort of the National Institute on Aging/NIH and HBO Documentary Films.
NIA Information on Caregiving
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Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging This comprehensive, 104-page handbook offers easy-to-understand information and advice for at-home caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease. It addresses all aspects of care,...
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Using a question-and-answer format, this beautifully illustrated, 44-page booklet offers information about caregiving from afar. It explores topics such as complex family relationships, legal issues, housing options, and advance directives.
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An essential primer on Alzheimer’s disease, this 80-page publication describes how the brain works and how it changes with age in healthy people and people with Alzheimer’s. Research on causes, diagnosis, prevention, potential treatments...
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This 40-page booklet for caregivers gives room by-room suggestions for creating a safer space for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
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For more information and caregiving tips, see the booklet Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging. You can also find a topic-by-topic list of brief tip sheets for caregivers of...
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This 68-page guide discusses key issues at the end of life. Topics include finding hospice care, what happens at the time of death, managing grief, and preparing advance directives along with resources for more information.
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The holiday season is a time for visiting and reconnecting with family, friends, and neighbors. Sometimes this season can be sad or stressful for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. These hints are our gift in wishing you an...
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Introduction A trip to the hospital with a person who has memory loss or dementia can be stressful for both of you. This brochure can relieve some of that stress by helping you prepare for both unexpected and planned hospital visits. Here, you...
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A new environment filled with strange sights, odors and sounds, a change in the daily routine, medications and tests, and the disease process itself can all be factors that increase confusion, anxiety and agitation in a hospitalized individual with...
Featured Research
The Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) trials, funded by NIA and the National Institute for Nursing Research tested strategies for helping dementia caregivers manage their stress and emotional burden. The interventions included education on dementia, training in specific caregiving skills, and encouragement and techniques for physical and emotional self-care. The REACH findings are now being put into practice through two Federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Administration on Aging (AoA). Learn more about REACH »
