Quick Summary

Alzheimer's disease may not make people feel physically ill, but AD does get in the way of them keeping themselves healthy. That is why they must rely on their caregivers to help them to eat a balanced diet, take their medications correctly, visit the doctor, and take care of all the details that are involved in staying in good physical and emotional health. Even at the very beginning of the illness, a person with Alzheimer's disease will need help to manage the self- care that is needed to stay as fit as his age allows.

Routine Health Care

People with Alzheimer's disease are generally elderly, so it is not surprising that they may need glasses, hearing aids, or dentures, just like other older adults. It is important to be sure that all of these aids that help a person to interact with other people, and to enjoy the simple pleasures of eating, reading, and taking part in social activities are in good condition and are checked regularly. When a person with AD does not see or hear well, she may be even more confused and be left out of activities she still might be able to enjoy. In addition to Alzheimer's disease, the person may also have other illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer, which also need to be treated.

NOTE: It is important to have a doctor who is willing to work with other health care providers, understands Alzheimer's disease, is respectful of the person in your care, and is prepared to include you, in the decision-making process. The doctor should also be concerned about how you, the caregiver, are holding up under the stress.

Medical Interventions

These are some of the routine medical interventions you will want the person to have--

• regular annual complete check ups
• flu and pneumonia vaccinations
• screening for other medical conditions, as recommended by the doctor

It may be useful for the person to be seen by a geriatric psychiatrist in addition to medical doctors to get a complete picture of his physical and emotional health.

Even if the person with Alzheimer's disease seems to be feeling well, it is important for the doctor to examine him. A condition the person with dementia was unable to tell you about may be found and treated before it becomes more serious.

Sometimes a condition you did not know about before may be discovered by the doctor, and you will have to choose among different ways of treating it or decide if you want to treat it at all. You always need to keep in mind that a person with Alzheimer's disease may have difficulty cooperating with certain treatments because he may not understand why they are necessary. If the person is in the early stage, see if the treatment plan can be explained in a way the person will understand so that he can voice his opinions. Even if the person forgets what he said he would like or not like to have done, at least you will know. Ideally, you and the person in your care will have already completed the health care documents, called Advance Directives and Health Care Proxy (see Financial, Legal, and Medical Planning, p. 85), so that you will know how the person would like to be medically treated.

Take care of medical procedures such as cataract surgery as soon as they are recommended by the doctor. This way she will get the benefit sooner. In addition, in the earlier stage of dementia, she will be more likely to be able to handle the stress of the surgery and cooperate with the aftercare.

What will you need to do to be sure the person's health is properly cared for? That depends on the stage of the illness.

NOTE: It is very important to have a written health history of the person with AD so there is a permanent record that health care providers can read when the person can no longer give his history for himself.