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Later Stage Dementia: Promoting Comfort, Compassion and Care

Later Stage Dementia: Promoting Comfort, Compassion and Care

Teaser: 

Michael Gordon, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Medical Program Director, Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System; Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
 

Learning Objectives

When it comes to dementia much of the focus is related to diagnosis and treatment(s). A terminal phase is not always considered with conditions that cause dementia-but must be to properly plan care.

To address clinical and ethical challenges that face health care providers and families for this population and to provide health care providers with processes by which to address such ethical dilemmas.

Keywords: dementia, caregiving, end-of-life planning

Respite Services: Enhancing the Quality of Daily Life for Caregivers and Persons with Dementia

Respite Services: Enhancing the Quality of Daily Life for Caregivers and Persons with Dementia

Teaser: 


Dale A. Lund, PhD, Professor of Gerontology & Sociology, University of Utah Center on Aging, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Scott D. Wright, PhD, Associate Professor of Gerontology, University of Utah Center on Aging, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Michael S. Caserta, PhD, Associate Professor of Gerontology, University of Utah Center on Aging, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

Obtaining respite, defined as having time away from performing caregiving tasks and meeting various responsibilities, has been found to be the single most desired and needed service by family caregivers to older adults. Although respite has the potential to enhance the quality of life for most caregivers, far too many caregivers wait too long to use the services, do not use them often or regularly enough, or spend their respite time unwisely (thus not deriving the maximum benefit). Also, many caregivers feel guilty and reluctant to use the services even when they are available. This article helps document the value of using respite services, describes the various forms in which they are available, and offers suggestions on how to make the most out of these promising services.

Key words: respite, caregiving, older adults, quality of life.

Efficacy of Donepezil on Maintenance of Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Alzheimer’s Disease, and Impact on Caregiver Burden

Efficacy of Donepezil on Maintenance of Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Alzheimer’s Disease, and Impact on Caregiver Burden

Teaser: 

Serge Gauthier, MD, FRCPC, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, Montréal, QC.

Functional disability is an important component of Alzheimer’s disease. A number of scales are available to measure activities of daily living (ADL) throughout the course of disease, including instrumental as well as self-care activities. A randomized clinical study comparing donepezil to a placebo in moderate-to-severe stages of AD showed a stabilization of ADL decline over six months for patients on donepezil. Less time for ADL care was required by caregivers of patients on donepezil compared to those on placebos.

Key words: Alzheimer, therapy, activities of daily living, donepezil, caregiving time

Introduction
The importance of decline in activities of daily living (ADL) in older adults with dementia has been recognized in the condition’s diagnostic criteria, described as “significant impairment in social or occupational functioning” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).