Nurses study emotional toll of dementia

Watson

ursing home patients diagnosed with dementia, who are still cognizant enough to recognize their loss of function, are more likely to have dramatic emotional breakdowns and to lash out physically or verbally, according to researchers at the School of Nursing.

Nurse researcher Nancy Watson, director of the Center for Clinical Research on Aging, and her team found that patients in the middle of their decline are five times as likely to become intensely distressed and have a catastrophic reaction than patients either in the early or late stages of dementia. She presented her findings from a study of 100 nursing home residents in late August at a meeting of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society in Paris.

"A catastrophic reaction is when somebody loses control emotionally," Watson says. "It's clear that these episodes cause extreme emotional pain for people as they experience it. The angst they're expressing is truly felt. These patients are in intense emotional distress and need immediate help from staff."

The current findings should help caregivers and family members recognize patients who are at highest risk for emotional distress--those in the middle stages of dementia.

"These patients may still be conscious of their cognitive losses, but they are losing their ability to cope or compensate for them, resulting in extreme emotional distress," says Watson.

"Caregivers have a tremendously difficult job, and this research could help them become more aware of who is most likely to have a problem. Staff members need to approach residents about care issues in an especially gentle way, bearing in mind what they may be feeling or thinking. It's a very painful, sad time for these residents. By understanding these reactions better, we may be able to lessen their impact and occurrence, improving the patient's quality of life during this phase of dementia."

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