Support can include useful information, support from family, friends and the wider community as well as treating symptoms with medicines and other therapies.
The person with Alzheimer’s and those caring for them should be offered support soon after a diagnosis. This should give them the chance to talk to a professional about what’s important to them, ask questions about the diagnosis, and start to think about the future and planning ahead.
Person centred care
Care and support for a person with Alzheimer’s should always aim to be ‘person-centred’. This means it should be focused specifically on the needs of the individual person, not just on their condition.
It should take into account their life history and background, relationships, needs and preferences. They should always be included in any decisions about their care and support.
Medicines to treat symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
Taking a medicine to help with memory and thinking can help many people live well with Alzheimer’s disease. These cannot stop the physical disease from progressing in the brain, but in some cases they may delay the symptoms getting worse.
A wide range of medicines may be prescribed at different times for a person with Alzheimer’s. These might be for:
It’s important that the person asks their GP for a medication review every year to make sure that the medicines they are taking are still right for them and that they aren’t taking more than they need to.
If a person is in distress, health professionals will generally recommend trying approaches that don’t involve medication first before prescribing something, unless a person’s symptoms are very severe and there is a risk of harm to them or others.
