USE OF UNPROVED THERAPIES BY PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of unproven therapies for Alzheimer's d isease. DESIGN: Descriptive survey using a written questionnaire. PART ICIPANTS: 101 primary caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease wh o attended Alzheimer's disease support group meetings. RESULTS: Fifty- five percent of caregivers reported that they had tried at least one a lternative therapy to improve the patient's memory. Twenty percent of caregivers tried three or more unproven therapies. Vitamins were used most frequently (84%), and health foods (27%), herbal medicines (11%), ''smart pills'' (9%), and home remedies (7%) were also tried. Most ca regivers reported trying the therapies in the early stage of the illne ss and did not notice significant improvement in the patient's memory. Twenty-five percent of caregivers had tried unproven therapies for be havior problems. There was no correlation between the use of alternati ve therapies and the sex of the caregiver, age of the caregiver, level of caregiver frustration, presence of problem behaviors, or perceived level of physician support. CONCLUSIONS: The use of unproven therapie s by people with early Alzheimer's disease is common and cannot be pre dicted by characteristics of the primary caregiver. Although this use may be understandable, it exposes vulnerable people to possible side e ffects, increased costs, and possible exploitation. Health care worker s should actively inquire about the use of alternative therapies, and explore the reasons behind their use, so that they can better understa nd and meet the needs of their patients and their caregivers.