International journal of geriatric psychiatry
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Dec 2012
Risk factors for medication nonadherence in older adults with cognitive impairment who live alone.
The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the influence of cognitive, medical, behavioral, and social risk factors on medication nonadherence in community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment. ⋯ Our unique finding that better conceptualization predicted nonadherence has important implications for healthcare providers' approaches to improve adherence in older adults with cognitive impairment. Replication in future studies is warranted.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Dec 2012
An exploration of nursing home managers' knowledge of and attitudes towards the management of pain in residents with dementia.
The aims of this study were to explore the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs that nursing home managers hold with regard to the assessment and management of pain in residents with dementia and to determine how these may be affected by the demographic characteristics of the respondents. ⋯ The study has revealed that accurate pain assessment, training of nursing staff and a standardised approach to pain management (the use of pain management guidelines) within nursing homes all have a significant part to play in the successful management of pain in residents with dementia.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Dec 2012
ReviewThe potential of case management for people with dementia: a commentary.
A recent review of studies of case management in dementia argues that lack of evidence of cost-effectiveness should discourage the use of this approach to care. We argue that that this is too conservative a stance, given the urgent need throughout the world to improve the quality of care for people with dementia and their caregivers. We propose a research agenda on case management for people with dementia. ⋯ More work needs to be carried out in a more focused way in order to establish the value of case management for people with dementia. Since care home residence is such a sizeable contributor to the costs of dementia care, studies need to be long enough to capture possible postponed relocation. However, case management studies with shorter follow-up periods can still contribute to our understanding, since they can demonstrate improved quality of life. Future research should be built around a common, agreed definition of types of case management.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Nov 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialSpecialist mental health consultation for depression in Australian aged care residents with dementia: a cluster randomized trial.
This cluster randomized controlled trial sought to determine whether multidisciplinary specialist mental health consultation was more effective than care as usual in treating the depression of aged care residents with dementia. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the psychosocial and medical management of depressed aged care residents can be improved by increasing access to specialist mental health consultation.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Nov 2012
Subjective memory complaints in general practice predicts future dementia: a 4-year follow-up study.
Many older patients in general practice have subjective memory complaints (SMC); however, not all share this information with their general practitioner (GP). The association between SMC and future cognitive decline or dementia is not clear, especially in a general practice population. The aim of this study was to determine the risk for receiving a subsequent hospital-based dementia diagnosis on the basis of patients' reports of SMC in a primary care setting. ⋯ This study indicates that the presence of SMC in an older general practice population is a significant independent predictor for subsequent hospital-based dementia diagnosis. Thus, the GP could consider inquiring for memory complaints to identify vulnerable older patients.