International psychogeriatrics
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Dementia involves a progressive decline in many functional areas. Policy and practice guidelines should cover the entire course of the disease from early detection to the end-of-life. The present study aimed to evaluate the contents of national dementia strategies with a focus on palliative care content. ⋯ National dementia strategies cover part of the recent definition of palliative care in dementia, although they do not frequently label these references as "palliative care." In view of the growing numbers of people dying with dementia, preparation for the last phase of life should be added to national strategies.
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is common in older adults suffering from mood disorders. However, clinical diagnosis of FM is challenging, particularly in psychiatric settings. We examined the prevalence of FM and the sensitivity of three simple screeners for FM. ⋯ Nearly one in three older adults suffering from depression and chronic low back pain met ACR 1990 FM criteria. Three short screening tests showed high sensitivity when compared to the ACR 1990 FM criteria. Implementation of one of the simple screeners for FM in geriatric psychiatry settings may guide the need for further diagnostic evaluation.