Living with Alzheimer’s: New California guidelines aim for easier, earlier diagnoses

It’s the much-feared diagnosis no one wants to hear. But under new state and federal guidelines, more patients could be getting easier and earlier diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease, which already affects more than 600,000 Californians.

“Alzheimer’s can be challenging to diagnose, especially in a very busy primary care setting,” said Dr. Charles DeCarli, neurologist and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at UC Davis.

The new guidelines, DeCarli said, are a “game changer” in helping address the “everincreasing need for dementia assessment.”

The efforts run on two fronts: In January, Medicare began reimbursing doctors and medical providers who assess patients for cognitive decline and help them and families with dementia-care planning. This month, the California Department of Public Health also issued new Alzheimer’s guidelines to help primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants better diagnose and document the disease, explain it to patients and direct them to community-based programs and services.

Getting diagnosed can lead to earlier treatments, allow families to consider their financial and care-giving needs, and enable them to find support, whether it’s medications to ease symptoms, access to clinical trials or providing caregivers a few hours of respite from the 24-7 demands of caring for someone with the disease.

While no one wants to hear the diagnosis, the “satisfaction of understanding” Alzheimer’s can help patients and family deal with behavior like forgetfulness, as well as start planning for the future. “The consequences will be better health for patients, less hospitalizations ... and a healthier, better quality of life for patients and caregivers,” said DeCarli, who heads one of 10 universitybased California centers for Alzheimer’s research.