Hospice Care for Patients with Advanced Progressive Dementia

Book excerpt: This volume demonstrates how hospice care leads to improved quality of life for patients with terminal dementia and their families. Much of the information is based on the successful 10-year experience of the E.N. Rogers Memorial Hospital, where the first palliative care program for the management of patients with advanced dementia was developed. The book discusses Alzheimer's and other progressive dementias and reviews the clinical problems encountered, including infections, eating difficulties, and behavioral problems. It further addresses how to implement hospice care programs for these patients and the ethical aspects involved. This volume will be of compelling importance to nurses, physicians, and social workers involved in hospice or home care of patients at the last stages of dementia.