Care of people with dementia in primary care
March 10 2012
This factsheet published by the Royal College of General Practitioners provides GPs with guidance on the care of people with dementia in primary care.
Download Care of people with dementia in primary care
Key points
- Psychological therapies can promote positive coping strategies in the mild/moderate stages of dementia
- Vascular risk management is important in both vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
- Advance Care Planning discussions should occur before mental capacity is lost
- Cholinesterase inhibitors can be prescribed in the moderate stages of AD
- For behavioural problems, non-drug approaches should be tried first; if symptoms persist, benzodiazepines, SSRIs and anti-convulsants may help./li>
- Early referral to palliative care teams may give better symptom control in end of life care
