Young onset demented patients in French cognitive-behavioral specialized units.
The number of patients with young onset dementia (YOD) (first symptoms beginning before the age of 60 years) is estimated around 5,000 in France. On account of the usual severity of behavioral symptoms in these patients, the need for cognitive-behavioral specialized unit (UCC) is expected. To determine the number and characteristics of YOD patients cared for in UCC in France during the year 2013. A specific questionnaire was sent to the 84 French UCC. The questionnaire was completed by 55 UCC (65%), whose 33 received 179 YOD patients. The diagnosis was Alzheimer's disease in 50% of the cases and frontotemporal dementia in 30%. The main reasons for the hospitalization in UCC were the severity of behavioral symptoms in 86% of cases, the need to alleviate the caregiver burden in 31% and the waiting for a place in a nursing home in 23%. Mean duration of hospitalization was 40.4 ± 20.5 days. At the end of hospitalization 51% of the patients returned to their original living accomodation and 39% entered into a nursing home. The main reason of YOD patients hospitalization reject was the care team's fear in the UCC without experience. The severity of the behavioral troubles was the major issue while the necessary ethical reflection raised by the YOD patients management was a positive aspect. The teams rated how ready do they feel about taking care of YOD patients on a scale from 0 to 100, the median was 35. The welcoming of YOD patients in UCC is necessary, however the severity of the behavioral troubles and the care teams fear prompt to set up specific education and to increase of the number of staff for YOD patients management.
Unité cognitivo-comportementale de Bailleul, France, Centre national de référence des malades Alzheimer jeunes, Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1171 - Degenerative & vascular cognitive disorders, Lille, France.
Florence
F
Lebert
Centre national de référence des malades Alzheimer jeunes, Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1171 - Degenerative & vascular cognitive disorders, Lille, France.
Melanie
M
Leroy
Centre national de référence des malades Alzheimer jeunes, Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1171 - Degenerative & vascular cognitive disorders, Lille, France.
Florence
F
Pasquier
Pôle de gérontologie, CHU de Nîmes et groupe UCC de la SFGG, France.
Denise
D
Strubel
D017668:Age of Onset; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D057180:Frontotemporal Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital
Alzheimer's disease; behavioral symptoms; cognitive-behavioral specialized units; frontotemporal dementia; young onset dementia