End-of-Life Care in Advanced Dementia

Accuracy of two prognostic indexes to predict mortality in older adults with advanced dementia

Dementia is a cause of disability among older adults. Accessing advanced dementia prognosis is a challenge.

Developing a Training for Certified Nursing Assistants to Recognize, Communicate, and Document Discomfort in Residents With Dementia

Nursing home residents with advanced dementia experience significant symptom burden and may be unable to articulate their needs. Observational tools, such as the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale, are available to evaluate changes in behavior that may signify discomfort or pain. Studies proposing a short and effective curriculum, primarily for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) on how to use and incorporate the PAINAD in daily patient care, are scarce. This performance improvement project involves the design and implementation of a training curriculum for CNAs for using the PAINAD and discusses barriers to be considered for further projects. Certified nursing assistant perceptions of their experience with the training and the use of the tool were also assessed with a brief evaluation. Seventy-three initial PAINAD forms were completed along with 52 follow-up PAINAD forms. A paired t test (N = 52) showed a significant decrease in the PAINAD scores from initial (mean, 6.06) to follow-up (mean, 1.85) (P < .001), suggesting a reduction of patient discomfort. The process of collecting and examining these data was meant to reinforce the identification and reduction of behavioral distress through the application of this tool. The training was perceived as effective and the tool as easy to use, indicating it can be incorporated into daily care responsibilities of CNAs.

Frontotemporal Dementia: An Updated Clinician's Guide

Today, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) remains one of the most common forms of early-onset dementia, that is, before the age of 65, thus posing several diagnostic challenges to clinicians since symptoms are often mistaken for psychiatric or neurological diseases causing a delay in correct diagnosis, and the majority of patients with FTD present with symptoms at ages between 50 and 60. Genetic components are established risk factors for FTD, but the influence of lifestyle, comorbidity, and environmental factors on the risk of FTD is still unclear. Approximately 40% of individuals with FTD have a family history of dementia but less than 10% have a clear autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Lack of insight is often an early clue to FTD. A tailored treatment option at an early phase can mitigate suffering and improve patients' and caregivers' quality of life.