Psychiatry in dementia.
Dementia is a significant cause of psychiatric morbidity in the elderly. The burden of care on families is tremendous and there is an urgent need to develop dementia-related services in Singapore. The role of the psychiatrist in assessment is to diagnose dementia accurately, to exclude treatable causes, and to organise an individualised plan of management, which includes referring the patient to the appropriate agencies in order to minimise the disability and help the family cope. Support and education of the caregivers is of paramount importance and attending support groups provides the opportunity for caregivers to share their experiences and learn from one another.
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Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales