In treating Alzheimer's disease, three areas must be considered in the treatment strategy. First, the decline of cognition and progression of the disease should be slowed. There is currently no therapy that will completely reverse AD, therefore the symptoms are treated. Pharmacologic agents are available that have shown to improve cognition, with several more agents currently under investigation.

Second, psychiatric and behavioral manifestations of AD need to be addressed. This treatment is again for symptoms and cannot reverse the disease. The treatment may be pharmacologic, but occasionally nonpharmacologic therapy is successful. For example, the caregivers behavior and control of the patient's environment may decrease the number of behavioral problems in that patient.

Finally, the family and loved ones of the patient need their own support. Many caregivers are under large amounts of stress while caring for the patient, dealing with legal questions of the patient's care, looking for help from home care agencies, or deciding what type of long-term care facility to place the patient into.