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After the Diagnosis of Dementia: Considerations in Disease Management

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Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia

Part of the book series: Clinical Handbooks in Neuropsychology ((CHNEURO))

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Abstract

Once diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders, patients and caregivers must integrate treatment and management plans. While there are no cures for these disorders, there are opportunities to optimize function and quality of life. There are pharmacological treatments available for dementia as well as for the behavioral and psychiatric symptoms that often accompany these diagnoses. Persistence can insure that drug treatments provide optimal benefit. Also nonpharmacological interventions including environmental modifications can be helpful, particularly for the behavioral problems. Supervision to insure adequate medical care, maximize independence and social interaction, and preserve patient dignity will require ongoing review of the patient’s changing condition. A comprehensive approach to management will also consider legal and financial needs, support for the caregiver, and the possibility of research participation. Clinicians can introduce the possibility of research for the hope it offers to their patients and to the generations to come.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai funded by the following NIA grant: AG 005138

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Steven Hoover Ph.D. & Mary Sano Ph.D.

  2. James J Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, 130 W. Kingsbridge Rd, Code 150 Rm 1F01, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA

    Mary Sano Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Steven Hoover Ph.D.
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  2. Mary Sano Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Mary Sano Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. East 72 Street, STE 500 428, New York, 10021, New York, USA

    Lisa D. Ravdin

  2. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, NW. 14th Street 1120, Miami, 33136, Florida, USA

    Heather L. Katzen

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Hoover, S., Sano, M. (2013). After the Diagnosis of Dementia: Considerations in Disease Management. In: Ravdin, L., Katzen, H. (eds) Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia. Clinical Handbooks in Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3106-0_5

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