2019 Volume 36 Issue 1 Pages 30-34
We investigated the role of a dementia care support team (DCST) for patients with dementia admitted for underlying physical illness. Subjects were 130 patients aged ≥ 65 (mean age 86±6) years, with stage III or higher dementia according to the degree of independence in activities of daily living for the demented elderly. Of physical illness, the most frequent cause of hospitalization was pneumonia or fracture, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) were observed in 67% of subjects. Support by the DCST was started in an average of 9.1 days after admission, and the mean interval of support was 34.0 days. Fifty–seven subjects received several forms of nursing care (environmental adjustment, communication modification, lifestyle changes, and/or other changes) without medical treatment, and 40% of subjects received medical treatment in addition to nursing care. Of the subjects with BPSD, 64% showed improvement at the end point of the support by the DCST. Of subjects who lived at home before hospitalization, 40 (46%) returned home and 47 (54%) were admitted to another hospital or facility. The most frequent causative factors for admission to another hospital or facility were the need for medical care in subjects admitted to another hospital and physical disability in subjects admitted to another facility. Patients with dementia frequently develop several types of BPSD during hospitalization for physical illness. The dementia care support team through cooperation among various medical professionals might be an effective countermeasure against BPSD during admission.
