Alzheimer's needs to be managed on several levels - it is almost impossible to treat it with a one-dimensional focus. Towards this end, the treatment of the disease could broadly be divided into three main areas. The first and probably the most important is the diagnosis and treatment with drugs. These are essential for arresting the disease and not letting it spiral out of control. So, a drug regimen will have to be put into place depending on each patient's needs. Of course, in the early stages of the disease, one might opt for a non-drug approach. The next area is to make things better for both the patient and the person or people looking after him. This is vital as it affects all concerned deeply, both physically and psychologically. The third area involves only the caregiver and is one where he or she should be given adequate support - again, both physically and psychologically.



Coming to the first area, with the tremendous strides medicine has taken, there are new-age drugs that manage and treat so many of the problems associated with the disease - from calming the patient to keeping the depression away to stopping the hallucinations and delusions. These pharmacological solutions help in slowing down the progress of the disease and in helping to alleviate the problems that arise out of the cognitive decline that the patient undergoes. Drug therapy is vital in all cases of Alzheimer's in order to stop the rapid deterioration of the cognitive functions.

Today, besides this aspect, medical practitioners are looking at non-pharmacological areas as well to treat patients. These involve exercise, involvement in some kind of activity which interests them and in modifications to the environment to make them calmer and more at ease. They also involve the well-being of the caregiver. Both patient and caregiver should be in good health as other factors like illness or weakness could also contribute to irritability and frustration.

Thirdly, as important as care for the patient should be support for the caregiver. Most families find it impossible to cope with patients within the environs of a home. So for many who suffer from this disease, a nursing home is the only option. This move, in itself could be traumatic for an elderly person who moves away from the security of the familiar into a strange unfamiliar place that evokes the fear of the unknown. Caregivers need to be educated on how to handle this as well as what the symptoms of the disease as it progresses are and how they can deal with them. A clear picture of how things will be can very often take away the frustration and put in a more detached, clinical approach. This, surprisingly is the more understanding and practical way to handle this condition. The more a caregiver knows, the easier is the difficult road ahead.

The good news? There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Research about the disease seems to be pointing the way to a cure - not just of halting the disease but of possibly affecting a cure. Can the ravages caused by Alzheimer's be reversed? Time alone will tell.