Violent crime in an elderly demented patient.
I present here a case of an elderly, severely demented gentleman who is being charged with the violent murder of his wife. These patients, although uncommon, represent a sensitive and difficult area of management for the old age psychiatrist. I examine what literature there is available in this area and draw the conclusion that it is an important and understudied area of psychiatry.
Dinniss
S
S
Senior House Officer, Psychiatry, Wotton Lawn Hospital, Severn NHS Trust, Gloucester, UK.
D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014754:Violence