It's important to work closely with your doctor and other members of your health care team to create the best treatment plan for you or the person in your care. Your treatment goals are likely to change during your journey with Alzheimer's disease. Make sure you understand all the available options and the benefits and risks of each choice as your treatment plan evolves.
An optimal treatment plan will take into account your:
- Age and overall health
- Current treatment goals
- Severity of symptoms and their impact on your life
- Living situation and availability of family members and caregivers
Ask the doctor the following questions when you discuss treatments. These questions will not address all treatment needs, but the answers will help you understand the options and make informed decisions.
- What treatment options are available?
- Which symptoms are being targeted by each medication?
- How will the effectiveness of each treatment be measured?
- How much time will pass before you will be able to assess the treatment's effectiveness?
- How will you monitor for possible drug side effects?
- What side effects should we watch for at home?
- When should we call you?
- Is one treatment option more likely than another to interfere with medications for other conditions?
- What are the concerns with stopping one drug treatment and beginning another?
- At what stage of the disease would you consider it appropriate to stop using the drug?
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