Help for Hispanic Families Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease

For Immediate Release
December 7, 2005

Contact:
Brandon Alvarez Montgomery
301-565-0770 Ext. 247

Holidays are a time to share with family and friends. But when a family member has Alzheimer’s disease (AD), holidays can be especially stressful. Providing care at home for a memory-impaired person can be overwhelming. By educating themselves, however, families can learn to develop creative solutions to adapt to the physical and mental changes caused by the disease.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) offers a free resource guide in Spanish with information about caring for a person with Alzheimer’s. It includes tips on how to help the person with AD celebrate holidays, perform everyday activities, and remain safely in the home, as well as other information useful to caregivers. To order a free copy of Guia para Quienes Cuidan Personas con la Enfermedad de Alzheimer, call 1-800-438-4380. The NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center is open weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. A Spanish-speaking information specialist is available to respond to calls. You also can order this and other Spanish publications on Alzheimer’s disease on the NIA website at www.niapublications.org/adear/ .

The NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, leads the Federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and the special needs of older people. The Institute is committed to making health information available to older Hispanic Americans and their families.