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For whom and for what the definition of severe dementia is useful an edcon consensus

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The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging

Abstract

The European Dementia Consensus Network (EDCON) is a special project of the Madariaga Foundation located in Brussels. The Madariaga Foundation seeks to facilitate collaboration between European countries and between the public and private sector. This paper will review the differences in the definitions of Severe Dementia and summarise the EDCON consensus on their implications for management. EDCON recommends that: — The attributes of the person suffering from dementia should be given as much attention (and are as important for care) as the severity of cognitive decline in dementia; — The dementia syndrome (particularly in it’s severe form) is inadequately defined by criteria which only includes the domain of cognition; — Physical, legal, social and cultural factors defining the environment of patients and their families should be carefully examined and that the results of this examination should be used in conjunction with the results of the somatic and psychiatric assessment in planning care and placement of the patient; — patients with severe dementia should have access to palliative care; — family members should be included in the care plans for those with severe dementia who are in institutional care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Psychiatry, University of Manchester, Education and Research Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK

    E. J. Byrne

  2. Centre Mémoire de Resources et de Recherche, CM2R CHU de Nice, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, France

    M. Benoit & P. Robert

  3. Cochrane Dementia & Cognitive Improvement Group, Unidad de Memoria y Demencia. Servicio de Geriatría. Hospital Universitario La Paz, Cantoblanco, Madrid

    J. M. Lopez Arrieta

  4. San Giovanni di Dio FBF, IRCCS, Brescia, Italy

    C. Geraldi

  5. Nursing Home Medicine Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands

    R. Koopmans

  6. Service de Médecine Interne et de Gérontologie Clinique, Hôpital La Grave-Casselardit, 31300, Toulouse, France

    Y. Rolland

  7. Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes, 1209, Geneva, Switzerland

    N. Sartorius

  8. Psychiatric University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

    G. Stoppe

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  1. E. J. Byrne
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  2. M. Benoit
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  3. J. M. Lopez Arrieta
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  4. C. Geraldi
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  5. R. Koopmans
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  9. P. Robert
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Byrne, E.J., Benoit, M., Lopez Arrieta, J.M. et al. For whom and for what the definition of severe dementia is useful an edcon consensus. J Nutr Health Aging 12, 714–719 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03028619

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03028619

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