Tsunami Preparedness: Developing Dementia-Capable Palliative and Hospice Care Skills (P09)

Abstract

•Discuss essential considerations in caring for the person with dementia along the trajectory of the disease from diagnosis to death.•Identify and explain the core elements to be addressed in a plan of care for those choosing palliative dementia care.•Create personalized, evidence-based care plans to maximize quality of life, and prevent or minimize distressing behaviors. As our population of aging baby boomers, sometimes dubbed the “silver tsunami,” continues to swell, so do their risks of developing some form of dementia. Alzheimer's, the most common type of progressive and terminal dementia, is the 6th foremost cause of death in America with current prevalence of 5.5 million estimated cases (Alzheimer's Association, 2017). The Alzheimer's death rate soared by 55% between 1999 and 2014, and continues to climb, impacting all races, ethnicities, and genders (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). In 2014, dementia accounted for 14.8% of primary terminal diagnoses of hospice admissions in the U.S. (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 2015). The unprecedented numbers of people living and dying with dementia underscore the imperative for widespread development of dementia-capable palliative and hospice care clinicians who can skillfully guide and support both patients and their families along the journey of dementia in a collaborative manner that avoids futile, burdensome interventions that can add to suffering, while focusing on promoting measures that uphold the person's goals and sense of well-being. This workshop will cover evidence-based care for persons with dementia beginning with diagnosis through end-of-life. Particular emphasis will be given to effective, person-centered, palliative dementia care practices that address a wide range of physical and psychosocial needs, in order to maximize comfort and optimize quality of life for those living with dementia and their families. Attendees will have an opportunity to refine care planning, education, and goal setting conversations. Case studies will be utilized to define comfort care, including medication simplification, assessment and management of pain and delirium, understanding and responding to distressed behavior, and compassionate environments and approach styles. Working in small groups, attendees will practice creating personalized, non-pharmacological care plans focused on maximizing quality of life, as well as preventing or minimizing distressed behaviors.