hello my father was diagnosticed alzeimer 's disease. I would like to see a specialist in US or Canada to find him a better cure than in europe, any help will be greatfuly appreciated.thanks fossoul@hotmail.com
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Q: specialist in the USA or Canada
Answers (2)
7/ 4/09 10:35am
Look for a neurologist or geriatric psychatrist for guidance. There are several ways to go at this, but make sure he has a good physical to rule out other issues, including medication side effects. The specialist will likely ask for a PET scan, take a family history and a personal history of your dad from the family perspective, plus administer other tests. Then, if medication is not offered or you still aren't happy with your guidance, change doctors. But likely, the doctor will start him on some medications that slow the decline.
Some general doctors handle Alzheimer's, but it's usually best to see a specialist in aging (geriatrics) or a someone who deals with brain diseases - or both.
Carol
7/ 6/09 10:07am
Dear Fossoul,
If your father was already diagnosed and you are looking to have him see a specialist, you may want to start out by asking his primary care physician for a referral. As an alternative, you can contact the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging. They specialize in finding local physicians whose expertise lies in the field of geriatrics. You can visit http://www.healthinaging.org or contact them by phone at (800) 563-4916. In addition, you can get in touch with the Alzheimer’s disease Education and Referral Centers of the National Institute on Aging. This organization has research centers throughout the United States, and provides information on Alzheimer’s disease, caregiver resources, research information, and publications. You can contact them at (800) 438-4380 or visit their website at http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease at this time, there are a number of treatments on the market that are geared to help slow down symptoms of the illness and potentially increase quality of life. Speak with your father’s physician for more ideas on the options available to him.
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