Expectations

Will my loved one get better?

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

While the medications that are available today do not reverse or stop the progression of the disease, they do help to delay its inevitable decline. They do this by keeping patients out in the community and in their own homes longer, and possibly delaying the time to placement in a nursing home.

How do I know if the medicine is working?

A medication is working if there is some improvement or no change in your loved one’s signs of disease. Since Alzheimer’s disease worsens over time, keeping patients where they are longer is an important and successful outcome in treating them with these medications.

There is no specific time limit on how long a person should continue taking their Alzheimer’s disease medication. This is a decision made by your health care team in discussions with yourself.

Since the medications delay the time in which a person worsens, it is generally recommended to continue them as long as possible.