Study: Doctors Must Better Prepare Patients, Families for Consequences of Alzheimer's

November 25, 2002
A new study finds that doctors could do more to help families deal with the terminal phases of Alzheimer's disease by preparing them for the relentless progression of the disease and supporting them through the intellectual and emotional conflicts that accompany it.

Researcher writing the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients and their families are often unprepared for the effects of AD, which can last from two to 20 years, erasing the patient's ability to communicate their wishes.

The study suggested that doctors need to do more to enable patients and families to anticipate and plan for the late-stage consequences of Alzheimer's and to make early decisions about withdrawing invasive interventions and initiating hospice.

The study notes that about 4 million Americans currently have AD and the number of new cases annually is expected toclimb to nearly a million in 2050.