Writing in the British Medical Journal, Elizabeth England, National Institute for Health Research clinical research fellow, asserts that a better understanding of the effects of dementia on life expectancy is important because it enables patients and carers to plan for the future and gain access to support services earlier.
Delayed recognition of dementia is common in primary care, and the underlying reasons for this are poorly understood.
A better understanding of the effects of dementia on life expectancy is important because it enables patients and carers to plan for the future and gain access to support services earlier. Patients and carers want to understand the illness and be given an early diagnosis so they can make informed decisions. Access to support services can promote independence, delay admission to an institution, and prevent the “crises” of care that can occur when formal support is lacking. In addition, identifying patients with early dementia in primary care is crucial to delivering current and future treatments.
See also:
- Research: Survival of people with clinical diagnosis of dementia in primary care: cohort study (Rait, G., Walters, K. et al) BMJ (Published 5 August 2010)
- Delayed dementia diagnosis in primary care: possible reasons, possible solutions (Ranjith Menon, Andrew J Larner) BMJ (Published 21 August 2010)
- Dementia in perspective (David J Jolley, Ian Greaves) BMJ (Published 17 August 2010)