Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Older People's Services, St. George's Park, Morpeth, NE61 2NU, UK.
Curr Oncol Rep. 2011 Aug;13(4):295-301. doi: 10.1007/s11912-011-0171-2.
Palliative care seems the right approach to dementia, except that it suggests a dichotomy between cure and care. As in cancer care, supportive care provides a broader framework, viewing dementia from the time of diagnosis until death and bereavement. The challenge is to find the right approach to the individual. This challenge arises in the person's own home, in long-term care homes, and in hospitals. The challenging features of palliative care for older people with dementia are found in connection with the use of antibiotics, antipsychotics, and other medications, as well as in decisions about whether the person is in pain or in distress, or whether artificial feeding should be contemplated or not, as well as about the use of advance care plans. In short, the challenges are essentially ethical as well as clinical. The right approach will be the one that recognizes this facet of clinical care.
姑息治疗似乎是痴呆症的正确方法，但它暗示了治疗和护理之间的二分法。在癌症护理中，支持性护理提供了一个更广泛的框架，从诊断到死亡和丧亲之痛的时间来观察痴呆症。挑战在于为个体找到正确的方法。这种挑战出现在个人自己的家中、长期护理院中和医院中。老年痴呆症患者姑息治疗的挑战性特征与抗生素、抗精神病药和其他药物的使用有关，还与是否有人感到疼痛或痛苦、是否应该考虑人工喂养以及是否使用预先护理计划有关。简而言之，这些挑战本质上是临床和伦理方面的。正确的方法将是承认临床护理这一方面的方法。
