The family caregiver's role in Alzheimer's disease.

Family caregivers play an essential role in caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), but caregiving stress often leads to problems in caregivers' mental and physical health. Certain factors predict caregiver distress, such as the presence of patient behavioral problems and the nature of the caregivers' social supports and coping responses. Several tools are available to assess the level of caregiver distress: The results are useful in research as well as in the clinical setting, in which they can provide insight into patient problems. Caregivers value written information about AD. They also value support groups and respite services, although the effects of these interventions are commonly less dramatic than the effects achieved by more intensive psychosocial interventions. Physicians and other health care professionals are obliged to address the concerns of AD family caregivers because they play a crucial role in the optimal care of these patients.