Reshaping Dementia Care : Practice and Policy in Long-Term Care

Innovative approaches to dementia care in the nursing home are the subject of this volume. The contributors combine specific applied research findings and programmes in examining such topics as: addressing needs; developing multidisciplinary care teams; finding alternatives to restraints; and integrating the family into the care team. Special programmes designed to accommodate patients, including special care units, in-house day care, nursing unit-based services and social day care, are described. Also explored are: legal and ethical issues related to dementia; reimbursement; staff training; and increasing costs.

How do you treat an illness that destroys life without taking it? What can be done to restore the control and dignity which are so quickly eroded by such an insidious condition? In her powerhouse book, Reshaping Dementia Care, Aronson elicits all the subtleties of treatment and response needed to counter this complex disease. Lending the volume a multidisciplinary perspective, the wide variety of contributors reveal a wealth of information regarding not only innovative approaches, but specific alternative programs as well. From the critical elements of needs assessment to the functional requirements of program evaluation, this work offers a comprehensive analysis of both the illness and its protocol options. Pragmatic concerns including legal and ethical considerations, reimbursement, staff training, and rising costs are also explored. Nurses, social workers, administrators, physicians, program directors, and therapists are among those who will find this book critical to increasing their understanding and implementing vital changes in their philosophy and treatment. "Unlike most books on dementia, this is pleasant, informative and refreshing reading, which should be high on your holiday book list." --Generations Review