- Email: [email protected]
DEMENTIA IN LATIN AMERICA: ARE WE READY?
P1408
Poster Presentations: Wednesday, July 19, 2017
and fourteen on what they thought attributed to the illness was elicited. Based on the mean stigma score, the entire sample was divided into two groups- those with high and low stigma. Consent were taken. Results: Marriage, fear of rejection by neighbor, and the need to hide the fact from others were some of the more stigmatizing aspects. Many care givers reported feelings of depression and sorrow. Discriminant function analysis showed that female sex of the patient and a younger age of both patient and caregiver were related to higher stigma. Among attribution items, having no explanation to offer, and attributions to faulty biological functioning, character of life style, substance abuse and intimate interpersonal relationship discriminated between the two groups. Conclusions: The relevance of stigma in the cultural context is increasing due to illiteracy, poverty, superstition and lack of awareness in developing countries like Nepal and India.
P4-308
WITHDRAWN
P4-309
WITHDRAWN
P4-310
DEMENTIA IN LATIN AMERICA: ARE WE READY?
Pablo Richly, CESAL, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Contact e-mail: [email protected] Background: Dementia is becoming one of the most relevant topics
in the health agenda of Latin American countries looking forward to 2050 as it’s expected that the number of patients will grow up to fivefold. In this context is of vital importance to know how prepared are Latin American physicians to deal with this challenge. For this reason, understanding the way in which physicians approach the issue is important in order to design better training strategies that will ultimately translate into more efficient patient care. Methods: The present presentation to explore this issue through different surveys. Participants were licensed physicians registered who were users of Intramed (www.intramed.net), an online portal for health professionals. In the first survey, doctors were asked if dementia patients were followed up or referred to a specialist and which specialist was considered the most appropriate for management. Afterwards, they were asked which complementary tests they usually request in patients with cognitive impairment and the degree of knowledge they consider they have on these pathologies. They were also asked if they prescribed pharmacological and/or nonpharmacological treatment for their patients with cognitive disorders and if so which drug or therapy they usually prescribed as well as the reasons for the indication. A year after a second survey was conducted with the same questionnaire comparing those who have completed an online CME dementia course. A third survey explored how physicians approched psicosocial aspects of the disease such as case-managment, diagnosis disclosure, caregiver training, intitucionalization approach. Results: Most of the physicians in Latin America show a lack of knowledge regarding critical issues related to dementia patients and do not prioritaze psicosocial aspects of the disease. Conclusions: Medical education should be a cornerstone of any national plan to face the upcoming demetia epidemic. As a result of this work we are planning a new CME approach for GPs in Latin America in order to improve their performance in real life settings.
P4-311
EVALUATION OF AN IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT: IMPROVING COGNITIVE AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY OF OLDER PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE THROUGH AN EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION APPROACH
Gaynor Parfitt1,2, Megan Corlis2,3, Alison Penington3, Dannielle Post1, 1 University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia; 2NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre (CDPC), University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 3Helping Hand Organisation, North Adelaide, Australia. Contact e-mail: [email protected] Background: Dementia impacts the functionality of older adults with respect to their ability to undertake activities of daily living, particularly for those living in residential care facilities. Providing avenues to maintain functionality as dementia progresses is one of the roles of allied health professionals. Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs), in Australia, are recognised allied health professionals, funded through government, and private medical insurance, to provide exercise-based programs for the prevention and management of chronic disease. They are becoming increasingly more active, and beginning to be funded as salaried staff within the aged care industry, on a par with physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists. AEPs may be of value in the aged care environment, with respect to maintaining physical, cognitive and behavioural functionality, related to the effects of Dementia. Methods: A 12-week exercise program is being delivered to residents in an aged care environment. The proposed research will evaluate the impact of this targeted, individually specific, exercise intervention for people who have significant dementia and other chronic health conditions and disabilities, from a number of perspectives. We will consider factors including level of cognition, behaviour, functional abilities, and well-being of residents before and following the intervention. Further, perceptions of the intervention and its impact from the perspective of family members, and care staff, will be analysed through survey and interview data. Results: Preliminary evidence suggests that there has been some increase in functional capacity, and improved cognitive function following the intervention. Perceptions about who can benefit from AEP-led exercise, from ambulant residents, to residents in ‘princess chairs’, appear to be changing. The purpose of this research is to provide a rigorous assessment of this impact, through the evaluation of the 12-week exercise intervention. Conclusions: The findings of this evaluation will be utilised to establish the suitability and sustainability of this type of program, and the value of AEPs as a member of an
Poster Presentations: Wednesday, July 19, 2017
and fourteen on what they thought attributed to the illness was elicited. Based on the mean stigma score, the entire sample was divided into two groups- those with high and low stigma. Consent were taken. Results: Marriage, fear of rejection by neighbor, and the need to hide the fact from others were some of the more stigmatizing aspects. Many care givers reported feelings of depression and sorrow. Discriminant function analysis showed that female sex of the patient and a younger age of both patient and caregiver were related to higher stigma. Among attribution items, having no explanation to offer, and attributions to faulty biological functioning, character of life style, substance abuse and intimate interpersonal relationship discriminated between the two groups. Conclusions: The relevance of stigma in the cultural context is increasing due to illiteracy, poverty, superstition and lack of awareness in developing countries like Nepal and India.
P4-308
WITHDRAWN
P4-309
WITHDRAWN
P4-310
DEMENTIA IN LATIN AMERICA: ARE WE READY?
Pablo Richly, CESAL, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Contact e-mail: [email protected] Background: Dementia is becoming one of the most relevant topics
in the health agenda of Latin American countries looking forward to 2050 as it’s expected that the number of patients will grow up to fivefold. In this context is of vital importance to know how prepared are Latin American physicians to deal with this challenge. For this reason, understanding the way in which physicians approach the issue is important in order to design better training strategies that will ultimately translate into more efficient patient care. Methods: The present presentation to explore this issue through different surveys. Participants were licensed physicians registered who were users of Intramed (www.intramed.net), an online portal for health professionals. In the first survey, doctors were asked if dementia patients were followed up or referred to a specialist and which specialist was considered the most appropriate for management. Afterwards, they were asked which complementary tests they usually request in patients with cognitive impairment and the degree of knowledge they consider they have on these pathologies. They were also asked if they prescribed pharmacological and/or nonpharmacological treatment for their patients with cognitive disorders and if so which drug or therapy they usually prescribed as well as the reasons for the indication. A year after a second survey was conducted with the same questionnaire comparing those who have completed an online CME dementia course. A third survey explored how physicians approched psicosocial aspects of the disease such as case-managment, diagnosis disclosure, caregiver training, intitucionalization approach. Results: Most of the physicians in Latin America show a lack of knowledge regarding critical issues related to dementia patients and do not prioritaze psicosocial aspects of the disease. Conclusions: Medical education should be a cornerstone of any national plan to face the upcoming demetia epidemic. As a result of this work we are planning a new CME approach for GPs in Latin America in order to improve their performance in real life settings.
P4-311
EVALUATION OF AN IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT: IMPROVING COGNITIVE AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY OF OLDER PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE THROUGH AN EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION APPROACH
Gaynor Parfitt1,2, Megan Corlis2,3, Alison Penington3, Dannielle Post1, 1 University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia; 2NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre (CDPC), University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 3Helping Hand Organisation, North Adelaide, Australia. Contact e-mail: [email protected] Background: Dementia impacts the functionality of older adults with respect to their ability to undertake activities of daily living, particularly for those living in residential care facilities. Providing avenues to maintain functionality as dementia progresses is one of the roles of allied health professionals. Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs), in Australia, are recognised allied health professionals, funded through government, and private medical insurance, to provide exercise-based programs for the prevention and management of chronic disease. They are becoming increasingly more active, and beginning to be funded as salaried staff within the aged care industry, on a par with physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists. AEPs may be of value in the aged care environment, with respect to maintaining physical, cognitive and behavioural functionality, related to the effects of Dementia. Methods: A 12-week exercise program is being delivered to residents in an aged care environment. The proposed research will evaluate the impact of this targeted, individually specific, exercise intervention for people who have significant dementia and other chronic health conditions and disabilities, from a number of perspectives. We will consider factors including level of cognition, behaviour, functional abilities, and well-being of residents before and following the intervention. Further, perceptions of the intervention and its impact from the perspective of family members, and care staff, will be analysed through survey and interview data. Results: Preliminary evidence suggests that there has been some increase in functional capacity, and improved cognitive function following the intervention. Perceptions about who can benefit from AEP-led exercise, from ambulant residents, to residents in ‘princess chairs’, appear to be changing. The purpose of this research is to provide a rigorous assessment of this impact, through the evaluation of the 12-week exercise intervention. Conclusions: The findings of this evaluation will be utilised to establish the suitability and sustainability of this type of program, and the value of AEPs as a member of an