title: Communication in dementia care.
abstract: Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative illness that affects a growing number of older adults in our country. We discuss ways to improve the management of persons with dementia within current healthcare models. Specifically, we argue that structured communication at regular intervals is essential for dementia care at all phases of illness. We emphasize the need for a single healthcare provider to take on a central role in organizing communication between patient, family and other healthcare providers in the outpatient setting. We also emphasize the need for healthcare providers to begin conversations about prognosis, care transitions and end of life early while balancing these difficult conversations with a hopeful attitude of realistic optimism that the disease can be managed.
authors.affiliation: VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA, USA.|Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chmelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emtman
authors.affiliation: VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA, USA.|Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borisovskaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.|Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Soo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003704:Dementia / Q000628:therapy*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010346:Patient Care Management; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: communication; dementia; prognosis