There are over 24 million people affected by Alzheimer's disease in the whole world, being the most common dementia in the elderly population. Most of the times a relative takes care of the patient in his own home.
Average caregiver is a 50-year-old woman. It is also very common for this person to assume the cares of the patient without any help from the rest of the family.
These improvised caregivers suffer huge changes in their lives, which unleash a worsening of their physical and mental health, until they get 'burn out' and the 'caregiver syndrom' appears.
This syndrom appears when the caregiver assumes the whole cares of the patient with Alzheimer's without any help, entailing an enormous physical and psychological charge. At last, patients and their problems becomes the whole centre of the caregivers' lives taking all of their time.
The caregiver looses little by little his independence and autonomy, until he ends up neglecting himself. No spare time, no hobbies and no friends. His life project stays stopped until further notice.
That is why it is important for people affected by Alzheimer's disease to keep their freedom and to be independent as long as the disease makes it possible.