More than 50 percent of patients in long-term care setting suffer from some form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting 5.4 million Americans. Behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia include depression, mania, anxiety, fear, agitation, aggression and psychotic symptoms including hallucinations and delusions. Common paranoid delusions include patients who believe a relative is an “imposter,” that they are being held captive or being poisoned.
The CAHF Music & Memory Project delivered personalized music to 4,500 skilled nursing residents in 300 participating facilities, helping to improve quality of life by connecting residents to familiar music. The project has been shown to improve the mood and provide pleasure, even in people with severe memory loss who can no longer communicate. Learn more about the program here.
The Alzheimer’s Association has developed a useful consumer guide for families of people who have dementia. Comfort Care Guide
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