When you were younger and healthier, seeing a doctor once a year for a checkup was probably the most frequent contact you ever had with a healthcare professional, except for the occasional illness. Or maybe it was picking up a prescription from your local pharmacist. But if you think you or a loved one has Alzheimer’s, you will be seeing a lot more of the healthcare industry. And as you wrestle with the barrage of emotions that having Alzheimer’s Disease can cause, you may be asking the critical question: Who is going to take care of me?
Finding the right care is important for someone who has Alzheimer’s. Whether it’s finding a competent neurologist to make the diagnosis or choosing the best person to be your caregiver, the people who care for you can make an enormous difference in how you cope with having Alzheimer’s. Caregivers can also affect how your disease progresses. In this chapter, we will take a look at the different people you will need to assist in your care.
YOUR PHYSICIAN
One of the most important people who will participate in your care is your doctor. This may be your longtime family physician, or it may be an expert in Alzheimer’s you locate in your community. In some cases, if your family doctor doesn’t feel equipped to handle Alzheimer’s, he or she may refer you to a specialist.
Doctors in several kinds of medical specialties can treat Alzheimer’s—the condition is not the bailiwick of one branch of medicine. Who you choose will depend as much on your personal preference and relationship with that doctor as well your insurance plan and the convenience of the office hours. Each doctor however, should possess some level of expertise in Alzheimer’s and feel comfortable treating your condition.
Among the medical specialists who can treat Alzheimer’s are:
• Primary care physicians. Most of these doctors are specialists in Family or Internal Medicine. These doctors are trained in general medical care and diagnose and treat a wide range of disorders. Although primary care doctors are not necessarily trained in a medical specialty, they should feel comfortable working with healthcare professionals who are.
• Neurologists. Doctors trained in neurology must undergo extensive education and training in the study of the brain and nervous system. After graduating from medical school, they must enroll in an accredited neurology residency program. After residency training and obtaining a license to practice medicine, neurologists can become board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology by passing an exam. Neurologists who have completed their residency may also enroll in a fellowship program, which can provide training to become further specialized in areas of neurology such as stroke or dementia.
• Geriatricians. People older than age 65 may want to consider seeing a geriatrician, a medical doctor trained in the treatment and care of older patients. In general, geriatricians are primary care doctors who are board certified in internal medicine or family practice and have received the certificate of added qualifications in geriatric medicine. At the moment, the number of geriatricians in this country is relatively small. As the numbers of people over the age of 65 continues to grow, the need for geriatricians will increase.
• Psychiatrists. These doctors are trained in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental, addictive, and emotional disorders. Some may be further trained in geriatric psychiatry, which includes additional clinical and educational training in the mental and emotional health needs of the elderly, These doctors can help care for and manage the needs of older people confronting illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and also assist family members coping with Alzheimer’s Disease.