Clinical update
Dementia: early diagnosis Essential facts
Find out more
There are 800,000 people with dementia in the UK, a figure that is expected to rise to more than a million by 2021. Less than half of people in England with dementia receive a diagnosis, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
NICE dementia guidance publications.nice.org.uk/ dementia-cg42/guidance
What’s new
Signs/symptoms
Causes/risk factors Age is the most significant risk factor, with one in 50 people between the ages of 65 and 70 having a form of dementia, compared with one in five people over the age of 80. Genetics and gender, with women slightly more likely to develop the condition, can also play a part.
Dave Bell is an admiral dementia nurse
18 april 30 :: vol 28 no 35 :: 2014
Conditions that affect the heart, arteries or blood circulation all increase a person’s chances of developing dementia significantly, particularly vascular dementia.
How you can help your patient
The Alzheimer’s Society says early symptoms include struggling to remember recent events while easily recalling things that happened further in the past, finding it hard to follow conversations and forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects. Other signs include someone repeating themselves, having problems thinking and reasoning, and feeling confused when in a familiar environment.
Expert comment
Alzheimer’s Society www.alzheimers.org.uk
ISTOCK
The government has announced a new focus on early diagnosis of dementia with funding to tackle long waits for assessments in some parts of England. From April, NHS England will invest £90 million to help achieve the ambition that two thirds of people with dementia will be diagnosed by March 2015. In some parts of the country, there is a wait of more than five months for an assessment.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says all staff working with older people should have access to dementia training. The clinical guideline states that for middle-aged and older people, modifiable risk factors – such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and raised cholesterol – should be reviewed and treated, if appropriate. Memory assessment services should be the single point of referral for all people with a possible diagnosis of dementia. They should offer a responsive service to aid early identification. Be aware that people with dementia, and family members, may need ongoing support to cope with the difficulties presented by the diagnosis.
‘Early diagnosis clarifies what is happening, which is important for the person affected and their family and carers. It allows plans to be made. For those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, they can start treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors, which can improve symptoms. Nurses should look out for signs of memory
Articles from RCN Publishing A collaborative approach to health promotion in early stage dementia Nursing Standard (May 2013) rcnpublishing.com/ doi/abs/10.7748/ ns2013.05.27.36.49.e7304 A nurse manager’s guide to support patients with dementia Nursing Older People (July 2012) rcnpublishing. com/doi/abs/10.7748/ nop2012.07.24.6.18. c9184 Disclosing a diagnosis of dementia: a background to the phenomenon Nursing Older People (November 2013) rcnpublishing.com/ doi/abs/10.7748/ nop2013.12.25.10.16.e497
problems and ask patients and carers about them. For a district nurse, this could be noticing that a patient has lots of out-of-date food. But it should not be assumed that all memory problems are a sign of dementia; they can be a sign of depression. A full physical should be carried out by a GP before patients are referred to memory services.’
NURSING STANDARD
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dementia: early diagnosis Essential facts
Find out more
There are 800,000 people with dementia in the UK, a figure that is expected to rise to more than a million by 2021. Less than half of people in England with dementia receive a diagnosis, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
NICE dementia guidance publications.nice.org.uk/ dementia-cg42/guidance
What’s new
Signs/symptoms
Causes/risk factors Age is the most significant risk factor, with one in 50 people between the ages of 65 and 70 having a form of dementia, compared with one in five people over the age of 80. Genetics and gender, with women slightly more likely to develop the condition, can also play a part.
Dave Bell is an admiral dementia nurse
18 april 30 :: vol 28 no 35 :: 2014
Conditions that affect the heart, arteries or blood circulation all increase a person’s chances of developing dementia significantly, particularly vascular dementia.
How you can help your patient
The Alzheimer’s Society says early symptoms include struggling to remember recent events while easily recalling things that happened further in the past, finding it hard to follow conversations and forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects. Other signs include someone repeating themselves, having problems thinking and reasoning, and feeling confused when in a familiar environment.
Expert comment
Alzheimer’s Society www.alzheimers.org.uk
ISTOCK
The government has announced a new focus on early diagnosis of dementia with funding to tackle long waits for assessments in some parts of England. From April, NHS England will invest £90 million to help achieve the ambition that two thirds of people with dementia will be diagnosed by March 2015. In some parts of the country, there is a wait of more than five months for an assessment.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says all staff working with older people should have access to dementia training. The clinical guideline states that for middle-aged and older people, modifiable risk factors – such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and raised cholesterol – should be reviewed and treated, if appropriate. Memory assessment services should be the single point of referral for all people with a possible diagnosis of dementia. They should offer a responsive service to aid early identification. Be aware that people with dementia, and family members, may need ongoing support to cope with the difficulties presented by the diagnosis.
‘Early diagnosis clarifies what is happening, which is important for the person affected and their family and carers. It allows plans to be made. For those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, they can start treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors, which can improve symptoms. Nurses should look out for signs of memory
Articles from RCN Publishing A collaborative approach to health promotion in early stage dementia Nursing Standard (May 2013) rcnpublishing.com/ doi/abs/10.7748/ ns2013.05.27.36.49.e7304 A nurse manager’s guide to support patients with dementia Nursing Older People (July 2012) rcnpublishing. com/doi/abs/10.7748/ nop2012.07.24.6.18. c9184 Disclosing a diagnosis of dementia: a background to the phenomenon Nursing Older People (November 2013) rcnpublishing.com/ doi/abs/10.7748/ nop2013.12.25.10.16.e497
problems and ask patients and carers about them. For a district nurse, this could be noticing that a patient has lots of out-of-date food. But it should not be assumed that all memory problems are a sign of dementia; they can be a sign of depression. A full physical should be carried out by a GP before patients are referred to memory services.’
NURSING STANDARD
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
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