Severe Dementia - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470010541 ISBN 13: 9780470010549

Publisher: Wiley, 2006

Synopsis

The later stages of dementia are as important, if not more so, as the earlier stages, since they harbour unique characteristics and events, which profoundly affect the lives of patients and their carers. Severe dementia has not had a high profile in the clinical literature as until recently prognosis was poor and there were few beneficial interventions. With the recent licensing of memantine, clinicians finally have a drug option that will delay disease progression. 

Severe Dementia is the first book to focus exclusively on severe dementia. It addresses both the clinical features of the disease and the social aspects of care. Introductory chapters on the differential diagnosis, neurochemistry and molecular pathology of severe dementia set the scene for the clinical discussion. Detailed clinical chapters on cognitive function, depression, physical effects, staging and function follow. All therapeutic interventions are then discussed, including memantine, anticholinesterases, neuroleptics and non-pharmacological treatment. The final chapters review the social and economic aspects of dementia care, including family involvement, person-centered care, palliative care, ethics and health economics.

Written and edited by experts in geriatric psychiatry and geriatrics, Severe Dementia is of value to all clinicians involved in the management of this complex and vulnerable group of patients. It is also of interest to general practitioners and carers in nursing homes.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Severe dementia is a relatively neglected area of psychiatry that attracts considerably less attention than the earlier stages of the illness. However, later stages of dementia are as important, if not more so, as the earlier stages, since they harbour unique characteristics and events which profoundly affect the lives of patients and their carers. 

Severe Dementia addresses the special challenges faced by clinicians managing the late stage of this illness. After a brief introduction to diagnosis and the underlying pathology, a comprehensive section covers clinical features, such as behavioural disturbances and physical effects.  This is followed by the section on management, which addresses treatment options, both with drugs and non-pharmacologically, and health economics.  It also deals with ethical and nursing issues regarding caring for people in the terminal stages of illness, palliative care and the role of the family. 

Written and edited by an expert team of geriatric psychiatrists, Severe Dementia will be of value to all clinicians involved in the management of the complex and vulnerable group of patients.  It will also be of interest to general practitioners and carers in nursing homes.

About the Author

Professor Alistair Burns, University of Manchester, UK, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, Director of Research and Development for the South Manchester University Hospitals' Trust, Editor of the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Chair of the UK Alzheimer's Society Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee Panel, Immediate past-president of the International Psychogeriatrics Association (IPA) 

Dr. Bengt Winblad, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, Professor of Geriatric Medicine, IPA Board Member, member of the Nobel Assembly for the Prize of Medicine and Physiology at the Karolinska Institute, Research Director of the Stockholm Gerontology Research Center.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0470010541
• ISBN 13: 9780470010549
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264
• Editor: Burns Alistair, Winblad Bengt