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What People with Alzheimer's Want

From , former About.com Guide

Created: September 9, 2006

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Dementia Finding Its Voice

For many decades the needs of people with dementia such as Alzheimer's disease had an institution framework. Care was evaluated by 'professionals' and services delivery was paternalistic. The views of people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia were rarely consulted let alone actively sought in service provision.

Times have thankfully have changed, in some areas faster than others. Enlightened health care has to consult its service users and dementia is finding its voice.

Research by Keady and Gillard in 1999 found that people with Alzheimer's disease wanted a number of things when they found out that they had the disease. They want:

  • Technical information about the changes that happens in their brains as a result of Alzheimer's

  • Information about how their diagnosis of Alzheimer's will change their relationships with family members

  • People with Alzheimer's want information about the causes of Alzheimer's disease

  • They want information about the services and benefits available to them

  • People diagnosed with Alzheimer's want information in an accessible form such as large prints leaflets and books and in audio visual format.

    Article Source Includes; Keady,J. and Gillard, J. 1999 The early Experience of Alzheimer's Disease: Implications for partnership and practice, in T. Adams and C Clark (eds) Alzheimer's Pathways to the Person.Balliere Tindall.

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