Advanced dementia in a sample of Brazilian elderly: Sociodemographic and morbidity analysis

Abstract

Summary Introduction: To investigate the sociodemographic and morbidity profile of advanced dementia patients and sociodemographic data of their primary caregivers. Method: Data was obtained from 67 elderly recruited for an observational prospective study, through interviews performed with primary caregivers. For statistical analysis, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS(r)) for Windowsr, version 19.0. was employed. Results: Advanced dementia patients were mostly women, widows, and non-institutionalized, with low-income. An elevated rate of stroke, sarcopenia, and pressure ulcers in this population is noted. Caregivers were mostly women, married, children of the studied patients, and unemployed. Only one third of caregivers were hired for the task. Conclusion: Patients with advanced dementia present a high morbidity profile, low income, and depend on the care given by family members, mostly unemployed daughters.

Challenges in dementia care: comparing key issues from Brazil and the United Kingdom

“…Support for people with advanced dementia and end-of-life care Significant functional and cognitive decline characterises the advanced stage dementia. 39 As people progress towards advanced dementia, they need more assistance with activities of daily living and can exhibit dementia-related behaviours, creating a higher level of burden on the carer, and a greater risk of institutionalisation. 39,40 In the UK, family carers, home-care workers or transitions to care homes attempt to address these care needs.…”

“…39 As people progress towards advanced dementia, they need more assistance with activities of daily living and can exhibit dementia-related behaviours, creating a higher level of burden on the carer, and a greater risk of institutionalisation. 39,40 In the UK, family carers, home-care workers or transitions to care homes attempt to address these care needs. The term 'care home' in the UK refers to communal living settings offering accommodation and 24-hour assistance with personal care and other daily tasks, some homes have qualified nursing staff on duty at all times (nursing homes) and others have no nursing staff (residential homes).…”

“…In Brazil, the subpopulation of people with advanced dementia is not adequately characterised and estimated, their clinical and sociodemographic context are unknown, as well as the sociodemographic profile of carers. 39 People with advanced dementia show a high morbidity profile, have low income, and limited assistance provided by formal carers, while the main carers are family members, especially unemployed daughters. 39 In Brazil, there is no expectation that the government should provide care and families are expected to care for their loved ones.…”

“…39 People with advanced dementia show a high morbidity profile, have low income, and limited assistance provided by formal carers, while the main carers are family members, especially unemployed daughters. 39 In Brazil, there is no expectation that the government should provide care and families are expected to care for their loved ones. 29 Institutions that set-up partnerships with public funding, the government contribution is limited to core medical services or drug supply.…”

Estudo exploratório do ensino da neuropsicologia nos currículos dos cursos de graduação em fonoaudiologia

“…Another important example of the relationship between speech-language pathology and neuropsychology is in cases of dementia. This neurological condition is characterized by significant cognitive and functional decline, in which the individual becomes dependent on the caregiver for everyday tasks (15) . Communication skills gradually decrease over the course of the disease and individuals may have language problems or even mutism (16,17) .…”