The American Medical Association has produces a new manual designed to assist health care professionals in treating the emotional distress, depression, stress and anxiety commonly suffered by the caregivers of Alzheimer patients.

"Counseling the Alzheimer's Caregiver: A Resource for Health Care Professionals" is based on clinical strategies developed by health care professionals and tested by Mary S. Mittelman, DrPH, principal investigator of an award- winning study of counseling and support for Alzheimer's disease caregivers.

These strategies have been studied for the past 17 years at New York University School of Medicine's Alzheimer's Disease Center,

"We have shown that counseling and support of caregivers and their families is an extremely effective treatment," said Dr. Mittelman. "The program has had impressive results both in maintaining the well-being of caregivers and in delaying -- and in some cases avoiding entirely -- placing their relatives with Alzheimer's disease in a nursing home."

The new guide is designed to help health care professionals achieve similar results by providing both a theoretical framework and specific strategies to anticipate and resolve family issues around patient care.

Other sources: American Medical Association