Dementia can have a devastating impact on both patients and carers. However, people who have a dementia diagnosis can still enjoy many of the pursuits that they did previously and, alongside adjustments to their routine, can live in a fulfilling and stimulating environment. The burden of care for many patients falls upon their family, which in turn can force many to quit work in order to care for their loved one. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) can make positive interventions and offer useful advice to people caring for a patient with dementia.

Managing BPSD

Non-cognitive symptoms of dementia (i.e. those that are not related to the process of acquiring knowledge through the senses, experience or reasoning) affect over 90 per cent of patients at some point during their illness and can cause a great deal of distress to both the patient and their carer. These symptoms are known as behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) or, according to NICE-SCIE Clinical guideline CG42, ‘behaviour that challenges’. There are three distinct types:

• Psychotic (delusions and hallucinations)
• Mood disorders (depression, anxiety, apathy and hypomania)
• Agitation.

If these symptoms occur, the CG42 guideline recommends the patient is assessed by a trained HCP at the earliest opportunity. This assessment should cover:

• Physical health
• Depression
• Possible undetected pain or discomfort
• Adverse effects of medicines
• Religious, cultural and social beliefs
• Psychosocial factors
• Physical and environmental factors.