TY - JOUR
T1 - Dementia and palliative care
AU - Casey, David A.
AU - Northcott, Colleen
AU - Stowell, Keith
AU - Shihabuddin, Lina
AU - Rodriguez-Suarez, Mercedes
PY - 2012/1
Y1 - 2012/1
N2 - Although patients with dementia are considered to have a terminal illness, they are often subjected to or continued on therapies that can lead to unnecessary suffering. Palliative care, which strives to provide patients with a peaceful and dignified final phase of life, is an important treatment approach for these patients. This article discusses several palliative care practices that can be incorporated into the care of individuals with dementia, including strategies for minimizing the medical burden on patients (eg, reducing polypharmacy), assessing for and managing pain, and managing psychiatric symptoms or syndromes (eg, delirium, depression, sleep disturbances).
AB - Although patients with dementia are considered to have a terminal illness, they are often subjected to or continued on therapies that can lead to unnecessary suffering. Palliative care, which strives to provide patients with a peaceful and dignified final phase of life, is an important treatment approach for these patients. This article discusses several palliative care practices that can be incorporated into the care of individuals with dementia, including strategies for minimizing the medical burden on patients (eg, reducing polypharmacy), assessing for and managing pain, and managing psychiatric symptoms or syndromes (eg, delirium, depression, sleep disturbances).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856512457&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84856512457
SN - 1524-7929
VL - 20
SP - 21
EP - 26
JO - Annals of Long-Term Care
JF - Annals of Long-Term Care
IS - 1
ER -