Physical Comorbidities of Dementia

Book excerpt: Dementia is reaching epidemic proportions. To date treatment has focused on cognitive and behavioural symptoms and their management, but the physical side has been neglected. Physical comorbidity is extremely common in people with dementia and leads to excess disability and reduced quality of life for the affected person and their family. Physical comorbidity is often treatable if not reversible. Epilepsy, delirium, falls, oral disease, malnutrition, frailty, incontinence, sleep disorders and visual dysfunction are found to occur more frequently in dementia sufferers. Physical Comorbidities of Dementia describes how these may present and gives detailed information and evidence-based recommendations on how to recognise and manage these conditions. Written by clinicians, each chapter deals with a separate condition accompanied by a list of recommendations for management. Physical Comorbidities of Dementia provides practical explanations and solutions to help all healthcare professionals to improve care for people with dementia.