Dementia

This is a quick guide for carers in care homes supporting residents living with dementia during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It discusses four clinical situations that may help to illustrate some challenges. These include: Understanding signs of COVID-19 Helping residents with confusion Managing behavioural challenges Supporting residents with end-of-life care.

Study (n=344) found patients in psychiatric inpatient settings admitted without known SARS-CoV-2 infection had high risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 (prevalence 38%, mean 75.3 years) vs. those in community and had higher proportion of deaths from COVID-19 than in community.

This research programme showed that the intervention developed was acceptable, feasible and highly valued by all stakeholders, but is unlikely to reduce costs and will not progress to a full trial.

Alzheimer's Society's new report, 'Worst hit: dementia during coronavirus', says Government must fix social care now, learning lessons to avoid further winter tragedy, as dementia carers struggle with depression, insomnia and exhaustion. Since coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown on 23 March, an Alzheimer's Society investigation has discovered family and friends have spent an extra 92 million hours caring for loved ones with dementia1, due to the double whammy of lockdown making dementia symptoms worse, and the chronically underfunded social care system leaving them nowhere else to turn.

Since the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown on 23rd March 2020, this investigation found family and friends have spent an extra 92 million hours caring for loved ones with dementia, due to the double impact of lockdown making dementia symptoms worse, and the chronically underfunded social care system leaving them nowhere else to turn. It states that the government must fix social care now, learning lessons to avoid further winter tragedy, as dementia carers struggle with depression, insomnia and exhaustion.

This document takes the wellbeing pathway and sets out the adjustments and amendments needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights key priorities and actions for each step in the pathway.

Dementia is a leading cause of death,1 and keeping people with dementia at home for longer is a key governmental goal. There is growing recognition that dementia is a terminal illness and a palliative care approach may be appropriate. The EAPC provides a comprehensive definition of palliative dementia care and a framework for outcomes of good end-of-life care.2 Palliative dementia care should be continuous, proactive person-centred care with timely recognition of the dying phase while providing comfort, psychosocial and spiritual support and avoiding unnecessary burdensome treatments. Despite this recommendation, people living with dementia do not routinely receive good end-of-life care.

As life expectancy increases, more and more people are suffering with dementia,1 with numbers anticipated to continue to rise into the foreseeable future.2 Despite this, little is known about the preferred place of death (a quality marker for end-of-life care) for patients suffering with this illness, or factors which impact the achievement of same.

Dementia is an increasingly common health problem.1 Many individuals live with comorbidities and this is also true of those individuals with dementia. A recent editorial summarised the landscape of dementia and comorbidities through the following points: (1) comorbidities negatively influence QoL; (2) dementia overshadows recognition of comorbidities and (3) interactions between these comorbidities and dementia can lead to poorer outcomes.2 These outcomes include increased mortality, hospitalisation, and delated treatment of new and worsening symptoms.3 4 Overall, having dementia in the presence of multiple comorbidities is associated with poorer outcomes, and while there has been research examining the relationship between dementia and single conditions, there is paucity in the literature regarding the cumulative effects of the comorbidities that are common in today in those with dementia.

Information and resources for health and social care professionals to improve the quality of services and reduce inequalities of care