[Caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease].

The term "caring" refers to the process aimed at enabling people with disabilities to achieve and maintain optimal functioning. According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) proposed by the World Health Organization in 2001, the functioning involves all aspects of daily life and applies to 3 levels: body functions and structures, activities, and participation. Caring is of 2 types; (1) therapeutic care, which restores and maintains the body functions; and (2) compensatory care, which compensates for the impairment of body functions and thus enhances and maintains the level of activity and participation. Alzheimer disease impairs multiple domains, including cognitive function and behaviors; therefore, it is very important to systematically and individually assess these impairments in each domain. Because there is inadequate data on the efficacy of cognitive training, compensatory care is principally used to overcome cognitive dysfunction. Caregivers should be equipped with skills required to cope with behavioral problems so that they can compensate for and even reduce these problems. Further, caregivers should not be overburdened, as this is reported to be a significant predictor for the poor outcome of patients with Alzheimer disease. Therefore, appropriate information regarding the disease, the impairments caused by it, the skills required to cope with these impairments, and social support services should be provided to the caregivers.