Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview of Family Issues In

Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) are progressive, irreversible conditions that cause degeneration to the cerebral cortex. The degeneration causes a condition known as dementia. Dementia is characterized by changes in memory, thinking ability, reasoning, personality, visuospatial perception, capacity for language, and a loss of functional abilities. There are many conditions that cause irreversible brain degeneration, yet of all of the dementing illnesses, Alzheimer's is the most common, causing 60% to 80% of all dementias.

After a brief history of dementia care, this entry focuses on family care of the person with ADRD. Then, this entry describes desired outcomes for the person with ADRD and the family and treatment. Lastly, the relevance of ADRD to family health care is discussed.