Changing needs in advanced dementia
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Changing needs in advanced dementia

Margaret Brown Senior Lecturer, Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice, University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton, Scotland
Debbie Tolson Professor of Dementia and Director of the Alzheimer Scotland Centre, Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice, University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton, Scotland
Louise Ritchie Lecturer in Dementia, Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice, University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton, Scotland

Why you should read this article:
  • To be aware that people living with advanced dementia whose ability to speak is limited may communicate using their body and facial responses

  • To identify the changing and complex health needs of people living with advanced dementia

  • To recognise the challenges experienced by family carers of people living with advanced dementia

This is the first article in a six-part series in Nursing Older People exploring the nursing care of people living with advanced dementia. This article discusses the changes that may occur as dementia progresses, from the perspective of the individual, their family and other carers.

A person living with advanced dementia is likely to experience physical, cognitive and social changes that can be profound and debilitating. Healthcare needs intensify as new and co-existing issues result in increasing dependency on others for support with activities of daily living. These activities can include eating, drinking, mobility and personal care.

Consequently, family carers may find their role has to develop and change to provide increasing support in response to these complex needs. These increasing needs can result in care transitions to hospitals or care homes. Careful and collaborative management of care is crucial to maintain quality of life for the person with dementia and family carers.

Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2020.e1204

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

margaret.brown@uws.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Brown M, Tolson D, Ritchie L (2020) Changing needs in advanced dementia. Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2020.e1204

Published online: 20 May 2020

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