Success in treating AD is defined differently from success in treating many other diseases. Current therapy for AD is not curative, but we do have a choice of pharmacological agents that can slow the disease’s decline. Helping caregivers, whether they are facility staff or family members, understand what successful AChEI therapy can and cannot do will go a long way in establishing realistic expectations for the persons in their care.

Specifically, reasonable expectations of AChEI therapy based on published data and clinical experience are described above.