Quality Improvement in Dementia Care: Dementia Management Quality Measurement Set 2018 Implementation Update

Suicide and Lewy body dementia: Report of a Lewy body dementia association working group

“…Disclosing a dementia diagnosis is part of quality dementia care, 58 but timely and accurate diagnosis of LBD is a known challenge 7,51 . Prompt recognition and diagnosis of LBD will help individuals with LBD and caregivers have an answer for observed changes more quickly and connect them to appropriate treatment (e.g.…”

“…Ongoing education and support of individuals with dementia and their caregivers is another critical part of quality dementia care 58 . Clinicians should help individuals with LBD and caregivers understand that symptoms like psychosis are disease‐related.…”

“…physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and social workers). Dementia quality measures require screening and management of neuropsychiatric symptoms at least annually 58 . However, given the high prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in LBD, clinicians should ask about psychiatric/behavioral symptoms at every routine follow‐up visit in LBD.…”

“…The American Academy of Neurology dementia quality measures recommend safety screening with individuals with dementia and their caregivers at least annually to assess (1) dangerousness to self or others and (2) environmental risks. For positive screens, clinicians must provide strategies to address the identified risks 58 . This is particularly relevant given research finding that older adults (≥50 years old) who attempted suicide were less likely to have prior screening for impulsivity, firearms access, and other suicide risk factors than younger adults (18–49 years old).…”

“…Discussing environmental risks is an important part of dementia care 58 and suicide prevention. Caregivers of individuals with dementia rarely ask clinicians for advice on firearm safety, despite the fact that only 12% reported having the information they needed 46 .…”