COLLIER COUNTY, FL -

A veteran dementia patient was found lying in the woods, nearly dead. Five years later, his family says they finally have justice.

"We needed justice for my grandfather and people needed to be held accountable for their actions," said Dederick's granddaughter Lauren Carey, who searched tirelessly for five days to find her missing grandfather.

Then 88-year-old Loren Dederick, who passed away last year, went missing in 2007 after a medical transport mix-up.

A jury found TLC Non-Emergency Medical Transport at fault ordered the company to pay Dederick's family $700,000 for his injuries and mental anguish.

"He laid there for five days with no food or water and no way out," said Dederick's. "He was dirty, ant bites all over, dehydrated and just really scared."

"He was getting close to the time where he probably couldn't sustain himself any longer," said Dederick's daughter Donna Ward.

The World War II veteran was taken to NCH North Naples hospital for chest pain on September 21, 2007.

When he was released, NCH accidentally gave a TLC transport driver Dederick's old address, the HarborChase assisted-living facility on Airport-Pulling Road in Naples.

The driver, 44-year-old Dimas Herrera, took Dederick to that wrong address. According to testimony, nurses at the assisted-living center told Herrera that Dederick didn't live there.

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Dementia patient's family: "We needed justice"

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As evidence increases showing that there may be a connection between hearing loss and dementia, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is urging hearing checks among Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Because most hearing loss can be managed with hearing aids, BHI also is encouraging those with hearing loss to be fitted with hearing aids when appropriate. BHI's outreach efforts come in recognition of World Alzheimer's DaySeptember 21.

To make it easier for anyone to determine if they need a comprehensive hearing test by a hearing healthcare professional, BHI is offering a free, quick, and confidential online hearing check atwww.hearingcheck.org.

Several studies have looked at the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive function. One such study,conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging, and published in theArchives of Neurology, found that seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. The study also found that the more hearing loss they had, the higher their likelihood of developing dementia.

According to the Johns Hopkins press release on the study, the reason for the link between the two conditions is unknown, but the investigators suggest that a common pathology may underlie both or that the strain of decoding sounds over the years may overwhelm the brains of people with hearing loss, leaving them more vulnerable to dementia. They also speculate that hearing loss could lead to dementia by making individuals more socially isolated, a known risk factor for dementia and other cognitive disorders.

According to BHI, these research findings should prompt people to take hearing loss seriously. BHI encourages Boomers and Gen Xers especially to get their hearing tested by a hearing healthcare professional who can provide a thorough examination and, if needed, fit them for hearing aids.

In an effort to improve the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease, BHI advocates that hearing checks, hearing healthcare, and hearing aids when appropriate, be included in their regimen of care. According to the Institute, unaddressed hearing loss can present an added, unnecessary strain on individuals with Alzheimer's disease, and also on caregivers who suffer from hearing loss themselves. BHI also advocates that hearing checks and hearing healthcare be part of the diagnostic process.

Studies show that although a significantly higher percentage of people with Alzheimer's disease may have hearing loss, they're also much less likely to receive attention for their hearing needs than their normally aging peers.

Research also shows that the use of hearing aids among Alzheimer's patients with hearing loss, in combination with appropriate aural rehabilitation in a multidisciplinary setting, can help alleviate the symptoms of depression, passivity, negativism, disorientation, anxiety, social isolation, feelings of helplessness, loss of independence and general cognitive decline.

Because healthy hearing helps people remain socially and cognitively engaged, BHI urges all Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and others to make hearing checks a regular part of their preventive healthcare.

About Alzheimer's Disease

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Dementia-Hearing Loss Link Prompts BHI to Urge Hearing Checks Among Baby Boomers, Gen Xers in Recognition of World ...

MILWAUKEE, WI--(Marketwire - Sep 19, 2012) - Dementia Care Specialists (DCS) has recognized GreenTree at Post Road, in Indianapolis, IN as the first facility in Indiana to achieve the status of Distinguished Provider -- the highest credential in dementia care.

DCS is a specialized offering of CPI, the worldwide leader in crisis prevention and intervention training. Launched in 2011, the Distinguished Provider program signifies a commitment to the DCS training philosophy and abilities-based approach, which helps improve function, safety, and quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer's/dementia.

"When people look for a long-term care facility, they want to select a place that they trust will offer the best and most attentive care for themselves or their loved ones. That trust is exactly what the Distinguished Provider status communicates. It is a seal of approval from industry leaders," said Kim Warchol, OTR/L, Dementia Care Specialists president and founder.

A Distinguished Provider demonstrates a commitment to high-quality, person-centered dementia care. This includes compliance with training standards and the implementation of CPI's Dementia Capable Care training and principles. For individuals at all stages of Alzheimer's/dementia, these principles promote the highest possible level of function, maximize health and safety, and help maintain dignity and quality of life.

With more than 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer's/dementia, and many more projected over the coming years, the level of care provided by GreenTree at Post Road can serve as an example and help elevate the standard of dementia care in the US.

In addition to recognizing facilities, DCS also recognizes therapists and care partners who demonstrate the passion, heart, and skill to deliver Dementia Capable Care. DCS welcomes both facilities and individual practitioners to apply for the Distinguished Provider program. The application and additional information are available at crisisprevention.com/dcs.

CPI is an international training organization committed to best practices and safe behavior management methods that focus on prevention. Through a variety of specialized offerings and innovative resources, CPI educates and empowers professionals to create safe and respectful work environments and enrich the lives of the individuals they serve.

For more information about CPI and DCS, visit crisisprevention.com.

For more information about Provision Living at Godfrey, visit http://www.provisionliving.com/indianapolis-assisted-living--memory-care-GreenTree-Assisted-Living/

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Indianapolis Dementia Care Facility Recognized as Distinguished Provider

Re: Dementia case puts Senate on the spot, Aug. 29

Dementia to the point of being declared incompetent does not happen overnight? Didnt any of Joyce Fairbairns colleagues notice that something was not quite right? Then again, I guess that its all relative.

Claude Gannon, Markham

So a Senator declared mentally incompetent continued for four months to perform her duties, and none of her colleagues noticed? Or worse, perhaps, noticed but said or did nothing? Makes you wonder about their mental competence.

Stephen Whitzman, Toronto

I suspect Prime Minister Stephen Harpers promise of Senate reform has slipped his mind until the next election. Since our country is foolish enough to reduce corporate taxes for greedy banks, insurance and gas companies, I may still have a shot at becoming a senator.

Although I am not a good fighter, I could drink a lot at lunch and be abusive to my staff in the afternoon. Do not worry about how I vote on bills because I will not show up very often anyway. With the generous salary and quarter million dollar plus expense account, I could probably attract a wife over 40 years my junior and take her on government-paid business-class flights, but I promise not to fight with her until we land.

Although I was never in the NHL I did not get hit too often in peewee so I am sure I could be a wise member of the upper chamber well into my old age. I hear government pensions are very generous and it will take Mr. Harper a few more elections to make insignificant changes to the plan.

My main qualification as a Conservative senator would be that I would support all of their bills no matter how harmful they are to the environment or how much pressure it puts on the working class.

Jim Ypma, Georgina

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Nobody noticed dementia?

Australia is leading the world with the first publicly funded program aimed at reducing the risk of developing dementia.

A new brain health program, Your Brain Matters, will be launched by Alzheimer's Australia this week.

It was funded by the federal government in the 2012 budget, the first prevention program for dementia in the world to receive public funding, said Alzheimer's Australia chief executive Glenn Rees.

He said this showed the condition was being treated as a chronic disease, rather than a normal part of ageing.

Mr Rees said the program was a guide to keeping the brain healthy by exercising the mind and body and eating a nutritious diet.

"It's important to understand that while there is, as yet, no cure for dementia there are things we can all do now - like keeping your brain active, being fit and healthy and looking after your heart - which may help to reduce our risk of developing dementia, or slow cognitive decline in those already diagnosed with dementia," Mr Rees said in a statement.

He said there was evidence to suggest that if physical inactivity could be reduced in Australia by five per cent every five years, this could cut dementia prevalence by 11 per cent by 2051.

This would equate to about 100,000 fewer Australians living with dementia by addressing just one risk factor, he said.

International Alzheimer's expert Dr Serge Gauthier, of McGill University in Canada, who is visiting Australia as part of Dementia Awareness Week, said prevention programs were vital to try to stem the incidence of dementia.

About 280,000 Australians have dementia, with this figure set to soar to almost one million by 2050.

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National push to prevent dementia

(CBS News) NORTHPORT, N.Y. - It's a story that makes you think, "What are the chances?" It started with a mystery at a nursing home we visited, "On the Road."

John Angerame says when you love someone with advanced dementia -- like his father has -- you can't help but wonder: Are they still in there?

John asks his dad Augie for even the littlest signs that he's present, like a wink or blink.

Fortunately, although Augie can't communicate, by all indications he is aware -- beyond words.

Augie Angerame served in the Korean War, in an artillery unit. He was a medic, which may partly explain his recent behavior at his VA nursing home on Long Island.

A few months ago, Augie started going into the room of another veteran with dementia named Frank Dibella.

"And I was like, 'What's this man doing?'" recalled Frank's daughter, Mary Rose Monroe. "He'd rub his back and then he'd walk away."

"Just check on him," John Angerame added, "like maybe a medic would do as he made rounds."

The kids agreed: It seemed like Augie was trying to care for Frank -- like he was back in the war. Frank didn't seem to mind. The staff eventually moved the two men into the same room.

And that's when John started putting the pieces together.

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Even in dementia, medic cares for vet

County Hall, Norwich.

David Freezer Friday, August 31, 2012 5:52 PM

Dementia patients and their families have been reassured that every effort will be made to smooth their transition from a closing day centre in Blofield to a larger unit in Norwich.

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News that Stocks Lane Day Centre is to close has been confirmed by Norfolk County Council and been described as very bad news by one person involved with the Blofield day centre.

The person, who asked not to be named, said: The patients will be moved from a very small, intimate and secure nine-person unit, to a very large unit.

This is very bad news because people with dementia dont like crowds or noise.

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Norfolk dementia unit to close this autumn

COA to host dementia caregivers event

SAGINAW Living with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimers Disease can be a defining moment in anyones life. On Thursday, Sept. 27, the Dementia Advisory Board, a program of the Saginaw County Commission on Aging, will host a conference for caregivers working with persons with dementia.

The program will take place at the Riverfront Grille, 128 N Front St. in Chesaning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes lunch (with a $5 donation).

We have seen such an increase in cases with people caring for loved ones with Alzheimers Disease or some other form of dementia, said Nicole Wiesenauer, care manager at the Saginaw Commission on Aging. Caregiver stress is at an all-time high. We are hoping to educate the residents of Saginaw County about this disease and to invite them to take advantage of the resources and support that are available throughout our area.

Carol Waarala, LMSW from Avalon Hospice, will be the keynote speaker for the event, and several local agencies and memory care experts will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. Seating is limited and reservations can be made by calling Wiesenauer at 1-866-763-6336.

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COA to host dementia caregivers event

Aug 24 2012

People in Scotland are "in the dark" when it comes to caring for those with dementia, according to a private healthcare firm.

A poll by Ipsos MORI for Bupa Care Homes suggests that 29% of people in Scotland do not know the best way to support someone with dementia and that 31% do not know what to expect as the symptoms get worse.

Around 800,000 people across the UK have dementia and this is expected to rise to at least one million by 2021, according to Bupa.

Family members are usually the first to identify symptoms of the condition and often try to care for their loved ones for as long as possible.

Bupa said many people struggle to find basic information and guidance to help them.

In response, Bupa has launched a series of films offering advice to people who find themselves caring for someone with dementia. Bupa Care Homes, which provides specialist dementia care, has teamed up with choreographer Arlene Phillips to make the films for the company's Understand Dementia campaign.

Ms Phillips, whose father had dementia, said: "I know from my own experience how frightening it can be when someone you loved lived with dementia. I wanted to make these films to help others.

"Had I known what I do now, my relationship with my father needn't have been so fraught and difficult."

Professor Graham Stokes, Bupa Care Homes's director of dementia care, said: "When families bring a loved one to our care homes, they often tell us how they struggled for many years caring for them, sometimes on their own with little support.

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Scottish News: Many 'in the dark' about dementia

Health

Posted on 06:40 PM, August 23, 2012

PEOPLE who keep their teeth and gums healthy with regular brushing may have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life, according to a US study.

Researchers at the University of California who followed nearly 5,500 elderly people over an 18-year-period found that those who reported brushing their teeth less than once a day were up to 65% more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed daily.

Not only does the state of your mind predict what kind of oral health habits you practice, it may be that your oral health habits influence whether or not you get dementia, said Annlia Paganini-Hill, who led the study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Inflammation stoked by gum disease-related bacteria is implicated in a host of conditions including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Some studies have also found that people with Alzheimers disease, the most common form of dementia, have more gum disease-related bacteria in their brains than a person without Alzheimers, Paganini-Hill said.

Its thought that gum disease bacteria might get into the brain, causing inflammation and brain damage, she said.

Paganini-Hill and her team followed 5,468 residents of a Californian retirement community from 1992 to 2010. Most people in the study were white, well-educated and relatively affluent. When the study began, participants ranged in age from 52 to 105, with an average age of 81. All were free of dementia at the outset, when they answered questions about their dental health habits, the condition of their teeth and whether they wore dentures.

When the researchers followed up 18 years later, they used interviews, medical records and in some cases death certificates to determine that 1,145 of the original group had been diagnosed with dementia.

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Health: Dental health linked to dementia risk

Pioneering music therapy for dementia patients developed in East Lancashire

12:09pm Friday 10th August 2012 in News By Catherine Pye, Health reporter

DEMENTIA carers are being encouraged to whistle while they work as part of a new scheme to be launched in East Lancashire.

Burnley-based Crossroads Care East Lancashire are looking for about 20 families who want to take part in a trial of a technique called Music Therapy Care Giving (MTC).

The idea, which originated in Sweden, is that carers of dementia patients will be taught to sing while they carry out their day-to-day jobs, with the hope that the patient will join in too.

John Rattigan, trustee of Crossroads Care East Lancashire, is leading the scheme. He said: Research has found that this process leads to patients being more compliant, there is a reduction in medication, and people are being discharged from hospitals.

A grant from the National Gardens Scheme is funding the project, which will see volunteers trained in the technique. They will then go into peoples homes to pass on their skills to a carer.

Mr Rattigan said: For example, if I was looking after my wife at home, a volunteer from Crossroads would come round once a week to show me how to use singing.

They would discuss with me what kind of music my wife likes, from which era, and they would make sure that the songs chosen are ones that my wife is familiar with.

I, as a carer, would then start to sing as I carried out tasks like getting my wife dressed, or preparing food. The hope is that the patient will begin to join in with words and a melody they are familiar with.

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Pioneering music therapy for dementia patients developed in East Lancashire

Dementia has been added to the list of national health priority areas following a meeting of federal and state health ministers in Sydney.

The first priority areas, set down in 1996, were cardiovascular health, cancer control, injury prevention and control, and mental health.

Diabetes was added in 1997, followed by asthma in 1999, arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions in 2002 and obesity in 2008.

Now, in 2012, dementia has been added to the list following a meeting of federal and state health ministers in Sydney.

That takes the number of priority areas to nine.

'This will focus attention and drive collaborative efforts aimed at tackling dementia at national, state and territory and local government levels,' the ministers said in a joint statement on Friday.

Some 280,000 Australians have dementia today, but that figure is expected to reach one million by 2050.

Ten years after that, spending on the disease is set to outstrip the outlay on any other health condition.

'We expect dementia spending to top $80 billion by 2062/63,' federal Ageing Minister Mark Butler said in a statement on Friday.

'But early diagnosis has been shown to have significant potential benefits for both the person with dementia and their carers and family, including improvements to quality of life and reducing care burden.'

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Dementia now a national health priority

Singer Amy Grant's father has been diagnosed with dementia.

RELATED: Celebs Gone Country

Dr. Burton Grant, 80, began showing signs of a faltering memory in late 2008, and the Grammy winner and her sisters finally forced him to seek help from doctors who determined he was dealing with a loss of overall brain function.

She tells People magazine, "Watching his brilliant mind go away was tough."

RELATED: Country Crooners: Who Said It?

The news prompted the singer to retire her dad's medical license and hire around-the-clock caregivers, and the 51-year-old admits the disease has presented a new set of challenges for her family.

Grant says, "He might not know my name, but I sense familiarity. ... It's a new reality. He doesn't make sense, but it's the comfort of hearing him talk and talking back to him. I wouldn't have guessed this is the way my dad's life played out. But I wouldn't change it. The unexpected and hard aspects of life draw us together."

RELATED: Carrie Underwood: 'Country Music Is for Real People'

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Grant's dad has dementia

Breakthrough test pinpoints severity of dementia risk

By Fiachra O Cionnaith

Thursday, May 31, 2012

People who are concerned that their memory loss is the first sign of dementia could be set to benefit from a breakthrough screening test.

A major conference in Cork next week will hear of the potential development, which could be available to Irish people over the coming months.

Currently, anyone who believes their memory loss may be the first sign of dementia a condition which affects mental functions such as memory, language, attention, and problem-solving can undergo a test to determine if they are at risk.

However, the mini-mental state exam which was developed in the 1970s and is considered a key tool in identifying the condition cannot clarify whether a person has a small risk of dementia or is in far greater danger of developing dementia.

Prof Willie Molloy and Dr Rnn Caoimh of University College Cork and the nearby St Finbarrs Hospital have developed a new test which can differentiate between ranges of dementia.

By using their mild cognitive impairment (QMCI) test, they believe patients can be told whether they must prepare for the full rigours of the condition or if it will have practically no affect on their lives.

"People with mild cognitive impairment have variable, subtle changes to their memory, but this can be hard to detect," said Prof Molloy.

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Breakthrough test pinpoints severity of dementia risk

FENNVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - What started as a method for teaching children to teach each other has been put to use to help local adults with dementia.

The Golden Orchards assisted living home in Fennville began implementing the Montessori method in January to help treat dementia patients. Thursday they hosted an open house to show their residents' progress.

In schools, Montessori is an approach to teaching that encourages a free-form style to learning in which older students help in teaching younger students, and the students themselves choosing what activities they want to do.

Dr. Cameron Camp, who was introduced to the Montessori method 15 years ago when his children started in a school that used the program, began developing uses for the dementia community.

"When people ask me what it is that I do, I say I enable persons with dementia to do what they're not supposed to be able to do," Dr. Camp told 24 Hour News 8 when he visited Golden Orchards. "We're not talking about a cure, that's a long way off. What we are talking about, however, is living, and trying to live well."

For adults living with dementia, these techniques can be used to help them try to regain lost motor skills, and give them a role to fill each day.

The staff at Golden Orchards said the focus on freedom during daily activities -- such as residents first setting up blocks then transitioning to story telling at their own will -- is helping them feel less agitated while increasing their motor skills.

In addition to their daily activities, residents also help set up meals for each other as a way of filling a specific role that they do each day.

Dr. Camp said this is part of how people with dementia can feel like they're contributing.

"It's about having a purpose-driven life," said Camp. "Especially to have a reason to wake up in the morning in spite of the fact you have a diagnosis."

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Dementia patients use Montessori method

Dementia advocates are urging the province to do more for people with the disease after a man with Alzheimer's went missing for five days, leaving a nursing home in Stephenville and then travelling to New Brunswick. The man was found safe in Saint John.

The Alzheimer Society of Newfoundland and Labrador said the province needs to prepare for a growing population of people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

One of the greatest needs said executive director Shirley Lucas is additional housing.

"If we were to look at the baby boom population, we know that the existing care that we have out there isn't going to meet that demand," Lucas added.

She said new and innovative ways need to be found to provide proper care.

"It's time to look at different housing options, such as secured units for patients," said Lucas.

Because people with Alzheimer's and dementia experience many stages in their illness, there is no onefit solution, she added.

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Do more for people with dementia, advocates urge

Public release date: 8-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Genevieve Maul Genevieve.maul@admin.cam.ac.uk 44-012-237-65542 University of Cambridge

Older people who have experienced episodes of delirium are significantly more likely to develop dementia, according to new research. The study is published in the journal Brain today, Thursday, 09August.

When in hospital, older people sometimes become acutely confused and disorientated. This condition, known as delirium, affects at least 15 per cent of older people in hospitals and has long thought to be simply a temporary side effect of other illness (such as an infection, a reaction to a medication or an operation). However, the new research shows that episodes of delirium can have long term effects - increasing the future risk of dementia eight-fold.

Dr Daniel Davis, lead author of the paper from the University of Cambridge, said: "This means that delirium, or the acute causes of delirium, could be a newly discovered cause of dementia. This is important, because although delirium is extremely common, less than a quarter of cases are actually diagnosed in hospitals."

Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Eastern Finland recruited 553 people aged 85 and over, and assessed their memory and thinking over 10 years. Of the patients who had previously experienced at least one episode of delirium prior to the study, 77 per cent also had dementia. In comparison, only 33 per cent of the patients who had no previous history of delirium had dementia. They also recorded the number of episodes of delirium throughout the study.

In people without pre-existing dementia, experiencing delirium resulted in an eight-fold increase in the risk of dementia. In individuals with existing dementia, delirium was associated with an acceleration of dementia severity, loss of independence in physical functioning, and higher mortality.

Dr Davis added: "Worsening confusion and disorientation in older persons does not attract much attention among clinical staff and many believe that delirium is simply an inconvenient consequence of illness. However, this research suggests the possibility that delirium, or the problems giving rise to delirium, may be actually causing brain damage.

"Because some delirium is preventable, it is plausible that delirium prevention may lead to dementia prevention. We now urgently need to test if better delirium care can prevent dementia, or prevent further decline in patients who already have dementia."

The Wellcome Trust-funded study also found, for the first time, that there may be differences in the brains of people who have had delirium compared to those without delirium. Dementia is known to result from a several different pathological processes (e.g. accumulation of abnormal proteins, or blockages in blood vessels). However, this study found that when individuals had both delirium and dementia, these standard neuropathological markers were not enough to explain the dementia. This raises the important possibility that dementia occurring after delirium had alternative pathological processes causing the dementia.

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Delirium increases the risk of developing new dementia 8-fold in older patients

A LEADING centre for people with dementia has been given the go-ahead in Billericay.

A specialist unit dedicated to patients suffering from the illness will be opened at Mountnessing Court from the autumn after being approved by the board of NHS South Essex.

approved: Ian Stidston from NHS South Essex, mental health commissioner Irene Lewsey and dementia foundation founder Caroline Dearson outside the new unit

The Mountnessing Road centre will encompass organisations involved in caring for people with dementia, bringing together medical, therapeutic, social care, and mental health staff, as well as workers from the Alzheimer's Society.

It will be supported by a consultant psychiatrist and a geriatrician.

The new centre will be a pilot project with initial results assessed in January next year.

Ian Stidston, director of primary care and partnership commissioning at NHS South Essex, said: "This unit will give people the choice to have intensive support away from hospital.

"We want to provide the necessary care they and their carers need so they can stay at home and live as independently as possible, for as long as possible, if that is their wish."

The 22-bed specialist unit, for dementia patients in south west Essex as well as Castle Point and Rochford, will provide rehabilitation seven days a week for up to eight weeks.

During this time, patients will receive intensive, expert care in an environment set up specifically for people with dementia.

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Billericay Gazette published Dementia care centre to open in Billericay

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Medicare News

CMS, Partners to Reduce Antipsychotic Drugs for Dementia in Nursing Homes

Government joins providers, caregivers, patients to ensure better use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes; follows bi-partisan senate action to curb use of the drugs<

May 31, 2012 - With a goal of reducing use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing home residents by 15 percent by the end of this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services yesterday introduced the Partnership to Improve Dementia Care. No doubt a motivating factor is a bill crafted by Sen. Herb Kohl, chair of the Special Committee on Aging, that will require Health and Human Services to gain consent from nursing home patients or their guardians prior to the administration of these drugs.

In making the announcement, CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, said the initiative to ensure appropriate care and use of antipsychotic medications for nursing home patients is a partnership among federal and state partners, nursing homes and other providers, advocacy groups and caregivers

Unnecessary antipsychotic drug use is a significant challenge in ensuring appropriate dementia care, according to CMS. Agency data show that in 2010 more than 17 percent of nursing home patients had daily doses exceeding recommended levels.

We want our loved ones with dementia to receive the best care and the highest quality of life possible, said Tavenner.

We are partnering with nursing homes, advocates, and others to improve the quality of care these individuals receive in nursing homes.

Sen. Kohl, D-Wis., was joined in his amendment to S. 3187 by senators from both political party, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The bill is the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act.

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CMS, Partners to Reduce Antipsychotic Drugs for Dementia in Nursing Homes

How do we recognise the symptoms of dementia and when should we seek medical help? HEMA VIJAY discusses the problem that affects the elderly with experts

It is a tricky to diagnose dementia because it manifests itself in many ways, and the early signs are often difficult to recognise. Dementia means a progressive decline in the ability to remember, to think and to reason. Dementia is not normal ageing or accelerated ageing, but a qualitative and quantitative change in the brain's function, explains veteran geriatrist, Dr. V.S. Natarajan.

Sometimes, patients do realise the onset of dementia and may be the first to know; others don't realise they have a problem and say, I am fine, my family is imagining things', elaborates Dr. V. L. Arul Selvan, consultant neurologist, Apollo Hospitals. For instance, there was an English professor who got wary about his mental state when he noticed he couldn't find the right words during lectures, while all along he had been so fluent. On the other hand, a person whose gamut of activities is limited may not display tell tale signs of dementia; but when guests come visiting, they may notice the changes.

Changed behaviour

There may be behavioural changes an irritable person may suddenly become quiet; a person choosy about food earlier may now eat whatever is put on his plate. There are those who may forget words and start speaking ungrammatically or telegraphically in broken sentences using just a few words. Some may become withdrawn, while others may forget learned processes when given a brush and paste, they may spread the paste on the handle rather than the bristles. Forgetting people, where objects had been kept, important dates, losing social inhibitions and forgetting behavioural norms are some effects of dementia.

Initially, some of these changes may seem harmless, but serious symptoms develop later. Initially, trivial things are forgotten; later, they forget important data such as their own door number, warns Dr. Lakshmi Vijaykumar, psychiatrist. One elderly man started handing out money to everyone who asked for it. He gave Rs.10,000 to an auto driver who was probably expecting Rs.500. It means he has lost his sense of judgment, explains Dr. Arul Selvan. Then, there was an elderly person who passed urine in front of everybody, without feeling embarrassed dementia has robbed him of social learned behaviour. So, be alert to changed behaviour and loss of memory in those aged 60 and above. Don't wait till the problem gets too bad.

The dementia test

Thankfully, there are simple tests available to evaluate mental function and diagnose dementia even its early stages such as the MMSE test that consists of a series of questions that takes just 10 minutes to administer. There are the very quick Clock Drawing test, the MOCA test, and the Clinical Dementia Rating tests, which are a comprehensive screening tool used for detection of dementia as well as for follow up. These tests can be performed by competent geriatrists, psychiatrists and neurologists. While doing these tests, the individual's vision, hearing, etc. have to be taken into account, as he may have good mental function but may not be able to demonstrate this because of tremors, Dr. Natarajan cautions.

A small percentage of people in the age group 60 to 70 get dementia. One-third of the population aged above 85 gets dementia. So, anyone reaching the age of 70 should take the test for dementia, regardless of the symptoms. In case of a family history of dementia or past history of head injury, dementia tests should be taken even when the individual is in his fifties. In our country, vascular dementia is common because of rampant diabetes and hypertension, and this affects younger people too, remarks Dr. Arul Selvan.

Treating the condition

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Could it be dementia?