Letter: Improving dementia care

Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched an initiative which called for a reduction of the national prevalence rate of anti-psychotic medication use in long-stay nursing home residents with dementia by 15 percent by the end of 2012.

In the United States, 25.2 percent of nursing facility residents receive anti-psychotic medications, according to data from CMS.

Louisiana carries the third highest rate of anti-psychotic drug use in nursing homes at a rate of 29.3 percent.

According to Dr. Alice Bonner in the CMS Division of Nursing Homes, in addition to dangers associated with anti-psychotic medications for the elderly, it also can be expensive to consumers and Medicare; atypical anti-psychotic medications cost more than $13 billion in 2007, nearly 5 percent of all U.S. drug expenditures.

By improving dementia care with person-centered, individualized interventions for behavioral health in nursing homes, CMS hopes to reduce unnecessary anti-psychotic medication use.

Work groups already have been formed by the LEADER (Louisiana Enhancing Aging with Dignity Through Empowerment and Respect), which has formed these collaboratives throughout the state in supporting CMS and working toward reducing Louisiana’s rates, and improving overall dementia care.

Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area is proud to be a collaborative in this project and supports the LEADER Coalition and CMS. Our organization is poised to offer resources and educational opportunities which will assist caregivers and health care professionals in learning and understanding alternative methods to behavioral health in those affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia-related disorders.

One such educational opportunity is our 20th annual Education Conference to be held Wednesday at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Our keynote speaker, Dr. G. Alan Power, author of “Dementia Beyond Drugs,” and an adviser with CMS on the initiative, will present alternative therapies and key strategies in reducing the rate of the use of unnecessary anti-psychotic medications in individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Power is sure to enlighten, empower and inspire those who care for others with the disease.

Every 68 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease and in our Baton Rouge area community, well over 15,000 individuals are affected by the disease.

With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, and one in eight of those, statistically, developing Alzheimer’s, this community, this state, this country and the world will be impacted by this disease like no other.

Let’s take steps to help those individuals affected by the disease and the ones who care for them. We can improve dementia care and reduce the use of anti-psychotic medications. A little bit of education can go a long way.

Join us to learn alternative therapies at our 20th annual Educational Conference on March 20. Contact our organization at [phone] or www.alzbr.org.

Dana Territo, director of services

Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by InPVille - 20/03/2013

@twinkie1cat: "These prisons for the unwanted run for profit. That means hire as few staff as possible, pay them as little as you can get away with and keep the residents well doped up." -[**]- What is that quote about the blind squirrel? -[**]- A few years ago an acquaintance of mine related to me how her elderly father became disoriented and confused from not getting enough salt and drinking too much water; something about electrolytes, I think. Two other medical problems with similar effects cropped up over the course of several months. Because the family had sufficient members who were willing and able to take turns spending 24 hours a day with the gentleman, he eventually was able to return to living alone and some of his prior activities. This brings us back to your point about the costs involved in care. With declining birth rates meaning fewer children and with both men and women in families commonly both being employed these days, many families don't have the luxury to be able to, or even have the inclination to, try and spend as much time as my acquaintance's family was willing to spend on their father. -[**]- But if you become disoriented and confused to a sufficient degree, don't be so sure you will be able to find, load, and use that shotgun; much less able to keep yourself in food and the other necessities of life.

2) Comment by crazycajun - 19/03/2013

good job twinkie

3) Comment by twinkie1cat - 19/03/2013

Guess so, Gerald, but the demented ones were not the majority and voted for Romney.

4) Comment by twinkie1cat - 19/03/2013

No, tradewinns there is no cure for at least some types of dementia, but a proper diagnosis is paramount and many kinds are the result of vitamin deficiencies, mini strokes, thyroid issues, even urinary tract infections. And a lot can be improved with a stimulating environment that includes human interaction an activities on a regular basis. A woman in my church who was close to 90 was a retired music teacher and pianist and had perfect pitch and perfect rhythm. She had also taught kindergarten in the public schools. Very brilliant. She had severe arthritis and osteoporosis but her mind was sharp. Her husband died very suddenly and their son did not want to be bothered so he stuck her in one of those hell holes. It took several months and the intervention of another elderly church member who was retired from Social Security and still had contacts to find her. When the church people found her, she had not been helped to walk regularly and so had lost that ability. She was living in the past as though she had dementia. So some members went to the hell hole regularly and got her on the piano. They sang and played old hymns and her mind came back and she lived for several years. Drugs were not necessary. Love was. That is why no one should abandon their family to one of those places and I will sit in my house with a loaded shotgun if anyone tries to do it to me.

5) Comment by twinkie1cat - 19/03/2013

What? Cut down on the drugs? However are they going to control granny if she is up and talking and knows she needs to use the bathroom, a bath, a drink of water and someone to talk to! These prisons for the unwanted run for profit. That means hire as few staff as possible, pay them as little as you can get away with and keep the residents well doped up.

6) Comment by tradewinns - 19/03/2013

there is no cure for dementia, at best a slowing of the loss. there comes a point where the patient is always disoriented, unsure, confused, you pick the adjective. the only and the best thing one can do for them (and their love ones as the patient does not know them) is the use of drugs to drop anxiety levels. insurance wants to lessen the use of drugs to save money, they give a dang about the patient or their loved ones.

7) Comment by [e-mail] - 19/03/2013

If dementia is that prevalent, no wonder Obama got re-elected.