Dementia

Five important issues caregivers should be aware of when working with dementia patients.

dementia is a "progressive and terminal" disease that "you can die from," according to a peer-reviewed article in BMC Medicine (van der Steen, 2013, p. 1). Van der Steen conducted a survey using 372 nursing home patients from 28 nursing facilities in the Netherlands. The initial survey reflected that just 43% of the families understood that "you can die from dementia," but 94% of the physicians responded affirmatively to the statement that "you can die from dementia" (van der Steen).

Many dementia patients do not progress into what is known as "advanced dementia," but they die earlier from "comorbid disease" or "dementia-related health problems," van der Steen explains. Hence, advance care planning (i.e., knowing the facts about dementia and discussing the realities with the patient while he or she can still make decisions) can make palliative...
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