Information and service needs among active and former family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease.

This study interprets results of a needs assessment completed by active and former caregivers of relatives with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Self-administered questionnaires yielded data about information and service needs at the time of diagnosis and at the time of the survey. Implications point to the need for high-quality educational material throughout the caregiving career, improved training for health professionals about AD, and an important role for former caregivers as resources to disseminate knowledge about AD to still-active caregivers and others in their own communities.