Nursing update on Alzheimer's disease

There are many important issues to be addressed in the relationship between families and health professionals. These include supporting each other without impairing each other and reciprocity with regard to learning and respect for each other. The nurse's role is vital. Nurses can build a partnership with the person, and their family because they have a major role in supporting the family, providing them with information, and directing them to the services they need. Nursing schools may need to re-evaluate their curricula to prepare individuals for this responsibility. Nurses may experiment with innovative approaches to care. Such innovations can then be evaluated by both families and professionals. The medical, social, and nursing implications of Alzheimer's disease are staggering. Surveys indicate that this disease probably affects more than a million people in the United States. These people and their families need supervision and care. It is hoped that this review will increase nurses' understanding of the disease process and that recent advances in research may stimulate further investigations in this still largely unexplored illness. The description of nursing care herein provided will enable clinicians to better serve Alzheimer's patients and their families.