Many caregivers of persons with memory loss or Alzheimer's disease are unaware of the abilities of their persons with AD to recall their drugs and medical histories.

Background: Caregiver awareness of the abilities of those they care for has much practical importance, especially from the safety standpoint.

Objectives: To determine whether the caregivers of persons with memory impairment or Alzheimer's disease know if their persons are able to recall their own drugs and medical histories.

Method: Persons with prodromal or probable AD (persons with AD) and their caregivers who were visiting our medical school's neurology and internal medicine clinics for routine follow-up care were recruited on the days of their appointments.