Caregivers need time away from caregiving, both to handle other responsibilities and to relax. Remember you will be a better caregiver if you take care of yourself. Respite services provide care for the individual with Alzheimer's disease, giving the caregiver time-off. Informally, family members and friends may be available to help. Formally, there are often community services that can help you locate adult day service centers and volunteer or professional caregivers to come into your home. Arrangements can be made for several hours in a day, overnights, weekends and weeklong vacations.

Feeling alone and overwhelmed by the responsibility of taking care of a family member with Alzheimer's disease is common. There are support groups for caregivers and families, providing opportunities to talk with others who share similar experiences. In addition to getting ideas and advice, caregivers benefit from being with others who understand what they are going through. These groups offer support and education and may include guest speakers who are experts in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Some support groups meet online, allowing you to participate without leaving home.

How can you locate respite services and support groups? Two national organizations, the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center operate as referral services. Additionally, these organizations can answer other questions you may have. Also, your State Office on Aging will have resources for you to contact. Consult the Federal Administration on Aging web site to obtain current addresses and telephone numbers for state offices. The agency also operates a nationwide service, the Eldercare Locator, that you can access online.

The pharmaceutical companies marketing FDA-approved medications for Alzheimer's disease (donepezil [Aricept], galantamine [Razadyne], memantine [Namenda] and rivastigmine [Exelon]), provide information for Alzheimer's disease patients and their families. Information, authoritative and reviewed by the FDA, can be found on the company web sites listed below.

• Aricept
  Sponsored by Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc., distributors of Aricept
• Exelon
  Sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., distributor of Exelon.
• Namenda
  Sponsored by Forest Laboratories Inc., distributor of Namenda.
• Razadyne
  Sponsored by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., distributor of Razadyne

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