Dementia Care

The Disease

Today, over five million people have been diagnosed with some form of dementia.  It is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States, and the sixth in North Carolina.  Because one in eight persons over age 65 are afflicted, it is very likely that you have a family member or friend living with dementia.

Dementia is a brain disorder that, for those afflicted with it, impairs the ability to remember, learn, and communicate.  It can involve the loss of abstract thinking, judgment, and physical abilities to the point that it interferes with daily living.  Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and accounts for 60-80% of cases in the United States.  Other types of dementia include vascular dementia (post stroke), Parkinson’s disease, and Lewy body disease.  In only three years, the number of Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region patients with advanced dementia rose 157%, representing nearly 15% of our current patients. (Please click here for more dementia statistics.)

The Effects

Caring for a person with dementia is often very difficult, with family and other caregivers experiencing high levels of both physical and emotional stress.  In an effort to alleviate some of this anxiety, Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region has created a specialized care plan for patients diagnosed with dementia, which also includes support and education for caregivers.

Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region Dementia Care

As experts in end-of-life care, we are responding to the prevalence of dementia-related deaths in our community with a dementia-specific initiative.   With training provided by the local Alzheimer’s Association for each care team member that sees our patients, our new dementia care program addresses the unique end-of-life needs of those with advanced dementia.  The extensive training provides tools to physicians, RNs, nursing assistants, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers and includes instruction on increasing or maintaining a patient’s quality of life, appropriate pain and symptom management, and advance care planning.  There is even social support for caregivers. 

Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region has trained our clinical staff to understand the symptoms of dementia and we have introduced a pain assessment tool specifically designed for patients with impaired communication.  Through this specially-trained care team, we offer clinical interventions that can assess and address a patient’s physical, social, and spiritual needs.  We have also introduced therapeutic sensory kits containing aromatherapy scents and tactile stimuli, incorporating items reminiscent of their childhood or career, music from their youth, and more.  These kits are designed to encourage cognitive stimulation and communication with both the care team and family members.  Because communication can be difficult, these tools help our staff and volunteers connect with patients through non-verbal means.  This initiative is being implemented in homes, assisted-living communities, and skilled nursing facilities. We believe that this new program will make a significant impact in the end-of-life care that our patients with advanced dementia receive. 

Click on the link to read a "case study" about a patient who has made progress through the dementia care provided by Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region.

Funding and Grant Information

Mecklenburg Medical Alliance & Endowment and the Lincoln County Community Foundation as well as Philip Morris helped fund this project.  For more information about our dementia care, or to make a gift in support of this project, please click here. 

For more information . . .

For more information about Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region dementia care, please fill out a "Request Information Form" and choose dementia care under "area of interest".  Someone will then be in contact with you.