Eric Siemers, MD: Balancing Caregiver Wellbeing with Alzheimer’s Care

In the second part of an interview with The Educated Patient, Eric Siemers, MD, chief medical officer at Acumen Pharmaceuticals, highlights the importance of caregiver support in Alzheimer's care and stresses that caregivers should prioritize their own wellbeing while caring for their loved one.

Siemers recommends the Alzheimer's Association as an important resource for caregivers, which can help connect families with services like daycare centers to provide some relief. The key is to ensure caregivers are not providing 24/7 care without respite.

Watching a loved one decline is incredibly difficult. Siemers emphasizes that caregivers need to ensure they take care of themselves as well. If it becomes overwhelming, seeking professional help, like seeing a therapist, can be beneficial. Often, the best remedy is simply giving the caregiver a break—whether through family, daycare or other services.

For those in the early, mild stages of Alzheimer’s, daily life may not change drastically. In more advanced stages, patients can experience sleep disturbances, including "sundowning" where they become more confused or agitated in the evening. Maintaining a routine is critical in these stages. A familiar activity, like watching a favorite TV show, can be helpful. It’s important to recognize that establishing a consistent routine is one of the best strategies in managing more advanced Alzheimer’s.

As the disease progresses, it naturally affects a person's independence. In the early stages, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), individuals may still drive and manage daily activities. But as Alzheimer's advances, tasks like managing finances or driving become increasingly difficult, and more help is needed. Eventually, activities like making meals or basic self-care, such as dressing and toileting, become problematic. The goal with new therapies is to prevent reaching these late stages altogether.

Siemers says it’s an exciting time in Alzheimer's research and over the past few years there has been significant progress in treatment. While there is currently no cure, treatments that slow the disease's progression are available. The possibilities for Alzheimer's treatment in 2024 are vastly different from just a few years ago, he explains.

“Things are changing in a good way, really rapidly, and so there's real reason for hope.”