When the right to health reaches the alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Considering the increase in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) rates worldwide, the desire to raise reflections on the public care offered to families and AD patients emerged. The article aims to reveal the dilemma experienced by families that need specialized public assistance for AD, in its most diverse peculiarities and particularities. Also point out reports from qualitative research, with reflections complemented by bibliographic and legislative survey. In terms of results, the analysis indicates that family accountability is clear, to the detriment of a State that should guarantee the minimum conditions of quality of life both for people living with the disease and for those affected by it. families live in constant anguish and hopelessness, which is aggravated both by the lack of understanding of the disease in its entirety and by the occurrence of periods of crisis for their family members, since specialized services have not been offered - even in the Care Centers Psychosocial in Mental Health - that a patient with AD requires. Thus, the service network of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) must adapt to the reality that the impact of AD causes - in addition to blaming families -, considering that that assistance is proper to the dignity of the human being.