**5. Conclusion**

Undoubtedly one of the great challenges of society nowadays is to deal and to manage the increasing trend of Alzheimer's patients in families as well as its associated increasing burden in the suffering individuals, in their caregivers and in society in general.

The care provided to Alzheimer's patients may be formal or informal. In the latter case, it is provided by family, neighbours and friends in the patient home. The burden imposed on carers is heavy. It includes health deterioration, labour negative impacts, inexistent social life and a cost of the time spent helping the patient with their daily activities and supervising their actions.

In this chapter, the burden and value of caregivers of Alzheimer's patients in Portugal were estimated and presented. The values may be underestimated, but they serve as a floor cost reference for policymakers. Several measures may be
