title: Dementia assessment: to do or not to do?
abstract: In this article, the authors summarise the diagnostic investigations that may be used to assess the health status of people with dementia. They express their concern with opposition to the use of the investigations on the grounds of expense and the incapacity of the tests to definitively diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The argument of the paper is that thorough investigation of people with dementia is warranted. Without such assessment, reversible or arrestable conditions that produce symptoms of dementia are not detected or treated. When dementia is diagnosed early, people with the condition and their carers are better prepared to plan and cope and expenses associated with mismanagement of people with some forms of dementia are minimised. The authors conclude that withholding diagnostic investigation of dementia deprives a group of people of the health care to which they are entitled.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Batt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment