Abstract
The treatment goal for persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is to maintain the highest
level of function possible and to minimize behavioral disturbances. Since multiple
factors have an impact on function, a multidisciplinary approach to treatment and
care is most effective. Whereas the primary-care physician can diagnose AD in most
patients, data collection and routine examinations can be conducted by a nurse practitioner/clinical
nurse specialist, and nonprofessional staff can often do mental status testing. Nutritionists,
pharmacists, geropsychiatrists, home-healthcare case managers, elder-law attorneys,
support services, and caregivers all fill important roles as members of the “AD team.”
With two AD drugs currently available and several impending new introductions, pharmacotherapy
is becoming an increasingly more critical treatment option.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 16, 2004
Identification
Copyright
© 1998 Excerpta Medica Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
