[Rehabilitation project and tele-monitoring of patients with mildly deteriorating cognition and their caregivers].
Dementia is a highly invalidating condition, constituting one of the major issues that health systems will face in future years. A great amount of research is focused on the looking out for effective therapies for dementia. Moreover, it is well-known that in the next thirty years the request for assistance and support services for patients will dramatically increase. It is also well-known that the perspective of institutionalization of demented patients is often source of anxiety and depression for caregivers. Telemedicine could provide an alternative option monitored by expert health operators and to caregivers the possibility to be supported in their assistance role. The project here presented entails a program of non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive and behavioural disturbances devoted to patients and caregivers, followed by a 12-months telemonitoring intervention, aimed at verifying compliance to treatments, offering constant support to caregivers and ensure patients and caregivers with a prompt access to operators of the Alzheimer Unit in case of sudden onset of health or assistance needs. It is expected that our combined cognitive-behavioural intervention devoted to patients and caregivers, followed by the 12-months telemonitoring program could produce many positive effects. In particular, we expect a slowing down of cognitive decline, a better control of behavioural disturbances and a delay in patients' institutionalization. Moreover, the accomplishment of improved information on disease and assistance options, and the reduction of caregivers' feelings of loneliness and hopelessness might engender the reduction of their anxiety and depression symptoms.
Galante
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Servizio di Psicologia, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, IRCCS, Istituto Scientifico di Castel Goffredo (MN), Italy. emanuela.galante@fsm.it
D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D012107:Research Design; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine