Family’s physician and therapeutic education of the family and patient with Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the disease responsible for dementia and is a major concern for public health in all countries of the world. People over the age of 65 have a prevalence of the disease of about 5%. The disease is chronic, with an evolution of many years after the diagnosis was made. The duration can be of 4-8 years, depending on the age of the patient and the stage of the diagnosed disease. The number of cases grows constantly along with the rise in number of elders and life expectancy. It is expected, based on the years 2010-2015, a bigger rise in case numbers. The nursing costs is also rising. Dementia of Alzheimer’s disease has a common characteristic of global malfunctioning cognitive functions, bringing a loss of functional independence. The patient need a caregiver for the normal life: budget management, using the phone, public transport, cooking a meal. The patient’s autonomy loss obliges the entourage to mobilize in order to measure the disease’s evolution and the loss of independence. Patients have behavioral disorders and/or of the psychiatric simptomes. In advanced stages, the verbal communication with the pacient becomes difficult, leading to language disorders and agnosia. The treatment of Alzheimer’s disease relies on inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and memantine. Sometimes psychotropics are needed. Along with these, care like: trained caregiver, home meal delivery, legal advice, psychological support, information about the disease, the staff training and knowledge of pursuing the best and efficient international studies about the disease. Conclusion. The social and healthcare system and preserving the balance between these difficult situations will be in accordance with the growth of knowledge in the field and will lead to the integration of therapeutic education of families and of the people with Alzheimer’s disease, in which the family’s physician has an important role.