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Physical Comorbidities Associated with Late-Life Dementia

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Book cover Mental Health and Illness of the Elderly

Part of the book series: Mental Health and Illness Worldwide ((MHIW))

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Abstract

There are a number of physical health conditions (physical comorbidities) that occur more commonly in people with late-life dementia than in the general population of the same age. This chapter provides an overview of these physical conditions which accompany and complicate dementia. These include delirium, epilepsy, falls, weight loss and nutritional disorders, incontinence, sleep disturbance, visual disturbance, oral disease, and frailty. The chapter describes how these conditions may present, what the underlying pathology is likely to be, and gives detailed information and evidence-based recommendations on how to recognize and manage these conditions. It aims to provide practical explanations and suggestions on improving care for people with late-life dementia.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Susan Kurrle

  2. National Health and Medical Research Council Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Hornsby, NSW, 2077, Australia

    Susan Kurrle

  3. Dementia Program, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Hornsby, NSW, 2077, Australia

    Roseanne Hogarth

  4. Ageing and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Henry Brodaty

  5. Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Henry Brodaty

  6. Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Henry Brodaty

Authors
  1. Susan Kurrle
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  2. Roseanne Hogarth
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  3. Henry Brodaty
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan Kurrle .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    Helen Chiu

  2. Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Kenneth Shulman

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© 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Australia

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Kurrle, S., Hogarth, R., Brodaty, H. (2016). Physical Comorbidities Associated with Late-Life Dementia. In: Chiu, H., Shulman, K. (eds) Mental Health and Illness of the Elderly. Mental Health and Illness Worldwide. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0370-7_14-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0370-7_14-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0370-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0370-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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