The management of dementia

2012 ◽  
pp. 411-419
Author(s):  
John-Paul Taylor ◽  
Simon Fleminger
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Clinical Syndrome ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cerebral Damage ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
The One

The term dementia is used in two different ways. First there are the dementias. These are diseases that cause progressive and diffuse cerebral damage, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common. Second, dementia can be used to refer to a clinical syndrome. Thus dementia is ‘an acquired global impairment of intellect, memory, and personality, but without impairment of consciousness’. For clinicians this is the preferred usage, and the one adopted in this chapter. It demands that the cause of the dementia is explored, and makes no comment on the likely prognosis. This chapter will focus on the management of dementia regardless of the cause; however given the burden of dementia in older age, the discussion will be invariably, but not exclusively, slanted towards the management of dementia in this age group. Aspects of management specific to individual diseases which produce dementia will be avoided. In addition, a discourse on the management of cognitive and memory problems is excluded as these are described elsewhere (see Chapters 2.5.4 and 6.2.7). Patients who suffer the dementia before 18 years of age will, by and large, not be included; their needs are often best met by services provided for people with intellectual disability.

scholarly journals Knowledge and perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease in three ethnic groups of younger adults in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aysegul Humeyra Kafadar ◽  
Christine Barrett ◽  
Kei Long Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Knowledge Level ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Gender Education ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a global public health problem with an ageing population. Knowledge is essential to promote early awareness, diagnosis and treatment of AD symptoms. AD knowledge is influenced by many cultural factors including cultural beliefs, attitudes and language barriers. This study aims: (1) to define AD knowledge level and perceptions amongst adults between 18 and 49 years of age in the UK; (2) to compare knowledge and perceptions of AD among three main ethnic groups (Asian, Blacks, and Whites); and (3) to assess potential associations of age, gender, education level, affinity with older people (65 or over), family history and caregiving history with AD knowledge. Methods Data was collected from 186 participants as a convenience sample of younger adults of three different ethnicities (16.1% Asian, 16.7% Black, 67.2% White), living in the UK, recruited via an online research platform. The majority of the participants were in the 18–34 years age group (87.6%). Demographic characteristics of participants and AD knowledge correlation were assessed by the 30-item Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), comprising 7 content domains. ANOVA/ANCOVA were used to assess differences in AD knowledge by ethnicity, gender, education level, age and affinity with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Results For AD general knowledge across all respondents only 45.0% answers were correct. No significant differences were found for the total ADKS score between ethnicities in this younger age group, who did not differ in education level. However, there were significant knowledge differences for the ADKS symptom domain score even after controlling for other demographics variables such as gender, education level (p = 0.005). White respondents were more likely to know about AD symptoms than their Black counterparts (p = 0.026). Conclusion The study’s findings suggest that the AD knowledge level is not adequate for all ethnic groups. Meanwhile, significant differences were observed in symptoms, between ethnic groups, and therefore, differ in their needs regards health communication. The study contributes to an understanding of ethnicity differences in AD knowledge amongst adults from 18 to 49 years of age in the UK and may also provide input into an intervention plan for different ethnicities’ information needs.

scholarly journals Disclosing a Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease: Patient and Family Experiences

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (S1) ◽  
pp. S67-S71 ◽  
Author(s):  
André P. Smith ◽  
B. Lynn Beattie
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Disease Patient ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
Family Conference ◽  
The Family ◽  
Disclosure Of Diagnosis ◽  
Assessment Beliefs ◽  
Collection Methods

Background:Informing patients and families about the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex ethical and practical issue. This qualitative study explores the psychosocial impact of disclosing a diagnosis of AD on patients and family members.Methods:This study identified 14 patients and their accompanying family members undergoing a multidisciplinary assessment for dementia at an outpatient clinic for AD and related disorders. Of the group, three patients had probable AD and five had possible AD as per NINCDS-ADRDAcriteria. Six patients were not demented as per DSM IIIR criteria. Disclosure of diagnosis occurred, in a family conference, within six to eight weeks of the assessment. Data collection methods included observation of the assessment and the family conference as well as in-depth home interviews with family members and with each patient whenever feasible. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded for recurrent themes.Results:A total of 40 individuals across 14 families participated in this study. Only two families chose not to have the patient attend the family conference. The disclosure of a diagnosis of probable AD brought on an experience of relief in three families, marking the end of a lengthy period of confusion about the nature of memory problems. Patients diagnosed with possible AD and their families interpreted how indicative the diagnosis was of the presence of the disease with varying degrees of certainty depending on pre-assessment beliefs about the cause of memory problems. In the group diagnosed as not demented, four patients had complaints of forgetfulness likely related to minor depression. The disclosure of a diagnosis of no dementia did not produce the anticipated relief. Two patients continued to believe their memory problems were caused by the early onset of AD or some other “organic” problem.Interpretation:This study reveals that disclosure of the diagnosis of AD to patients and family members is generally beneficial but that there are variations in the understanding of the diagnostic information, particularly in instances where the assessment results are ambiguous.

scholarly journals Integrating 5S Methodology into Oral Hygiene Practice for Elderly with Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherry Shiqian Gao ◽  
Chun Hung Chu ◽  
Fanny Yuk Fun Young
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Periodontal Diseases ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Clinical Syndrome ◽  
Hygiene Practice ◽  
Effective Community ◽  
Oral Hygiene Practice

Dementia is a clinical syndrome of loss of intellectual capability. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the dominant subtype of dementia and is common among the elderly. Because of impaired memory and disturbed executive functioning, the elderly with AD often have difficulty to perform oral hygiene practice and are at high risk of dental caries and periodontal diseases. These dental problems are ambulatory care-sensitive conditions where effective community dental care can help prevent the need for hospital admission. Community dental care practitioners can formulate effective strategies for the elderly with AD to reduce their risk of dental diseases. One of these strategies is to integrate 5S into oral hygiene practice. 5S was originally developed for organising spaces for people to work efficiently, effectively, and safely. It consists of five steps which are (i) sorting to remove unnecessary items, (ii) setting-in-order to place the items in order of flow, (iii) shining to clean and maintain the environment, (iv) standardising to establish discipline for good oral hygiene habits, and (v) sustaining to keep 5S going by auditing and improving the environment and oral hygiene practice. This system helps the elderly with AD to put things where they belong and keep the workplace clean. Moreover, it facilitates the elderly with AD to perform oral hygiene practice without wasting time and risking injury. This paper discusses the use of 5S to help the elderly with AD build and sustain an effective oral hygiene practice habit to improve their oral health.

Have you heard the one about the man with Alzheimer's disease?

BMJ ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 346 (may07 2) ◽  
pp. f2872-f2872
Author(s):  
S. Behrman
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
The One

scholarly journals Who speaks up for Inés Fonseca? Representing violence against vulnerable subjects and the ethics of care in fictional narrative about Alzheimer's disease:Ahora tocad música de baile(2004) by Andrés Barba

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 1394-1415 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAQUEL MEDINA
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Ethics Of Care ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Fictional Narrative ◽  
Social Discourses ◽  
Cultural Texts ◽  
Vulnerable Subjects ◽  
The One

ABSTRACTThis paper studies the 2004 Spanish fictional novel by Andrés Barba,Ahora tocad música de baile, one of the first cultural texts dealing entirely with Alzheimer's disease to appear in Spain. It argues that the significance of Barba's fictional novel rests on two important issues: the ethics of representation of violence against vulnerable subjects and the ethics of care. The paper analyses how these two issues allow Barba to create a story in which the verbal and physical abuse to which the person living with Alzheimer's disease is subjected places the reader, on the one hand, as voyeur/witness of the abuse; and, on the other, as interpreter, and ultimately judge, of the fine line that separates euthanasia, assisted suicide and murder. The open ending of the novel defers all ethical and moral judgement to the reader. It examines how the novel offers a monolithic perspective about Alzheimer's disease, in which care is presented as a burden. In fact, this study shows that the novel's multi-layered structure and polyphonic nature places the emphasis on stigmas, stereotypes and negative metaphors around Alzheimer's disease, as found in contemporary social discourses.

scholarly journals PERSONALITY AND FAMILY HISTORY OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AS PREDICTORS OF OLDER ADULTS’ SELF-REPORTED MEMORY PROBLEMS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S220-S220
Author(s):  
Sakshi Bhargava ◽  
Nikki Hill ◽  
Jacqueline Mogle ◽  
Tyler R Bell ◽  
Rachel Wion
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Family History ◽  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Memory Decline ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
History Of ◽  
One Year

Abstract Understanding individual factors (e.g., personality) associated with self-reported memory problems is important to refine identification of individuals at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using multilevel modeling, we examined the association of family history of AD and personality traits with self-reported memory problems in older adults (n = 421; 72.21% White; 62.95% female; Mage = 76.69). Results showed that individuals with a family history of AD reported more frequent memory problems and greater one-year memory decline. Similar findings were reported for individuals with higher extraversion scores. Further, older adults with higher neuroticism scores reported greater one- and ten-year memory decline. Neuroticism was positively related to frequency of memory problems, but only among participants with a family history of AD. Findings suggest that higher neuroticism and lower extraversion may increase older adults’ reports of memory problems. Family history of AD may further exacerbate this tendency.

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