Chaston Denise
Universal College of Learning, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Contemp Nurse. 2011 Oct;39(2):130-9. doi: 10.5172/conu.2011.130.
The commonly held perception that dementia is a condition of older age belies the fact that people under 65 years, and younger, present with dementia. Services for people with dementia have traditionally focused on the needs of older adults; people who are retired and more dependent. Younger people with this condition however, face different changes related to their young families', current employment and at times gaining a diagnosis. Traditional healthcare services do not adequately cater for the needs of this population and evidence suggests a need for specialised service provision for younger people with dementia (YPWD). While specific services have been initiated in some counties, in New Zealand there is little evidence of recognition of this problem. To consider the effectiveness of available services a literature review was undertaken to determine the need for age appropriate services for YPWD. Two main themes were identified, these relate to age appropriate service provision, a single entry point into services, and a defined care pathway. While there is some debate about the adequacy of existing services in meeting the needs of YPWD, the consensus suggests the importance and need for a focused specialised service to address the unique needs of this group. Further research is required to clarify the form and structure of a specialised service that supports best practice and meets the needs of YPWD in New Zealand.
人们普遍认为痴呆症是一种老年疾病，但事实是65岁及以下甚至更年轻的人也会患痴呆症。传统上，针对痴呆症患者的服务主要关注老年人的需求，即退休且更具依赖性的人群。然而，患有这种疾病的年轻人面临着与他们年轻家庭、当前就业以及有时获得诊断相关的不同变化。传统医疗服务无法充分满足这一人群的需求，有证据表明需要为年轻痴呆症患者（YPWD）提供专门服务。虽然一些县已经启动了特定服务，但在新西兰，几乎没有证据表明人们认识到了这个问题。为了评估现有服务的有效性，进行了一项文献综述，以确定为YPWD提供适合其年龄的服务的必要性。确定了两个主要主题，这些主题涉及适合年龄的服务提供、服务的单一入口点以及明确的护理途径。虽然对于现有服务是否足以满足YPWD的需求存在一些争议，但共识表明需要一项专注的专门服务来满足这一群体的独特需求。需要进一步研究以明确支持最佳实践并满足新西兰YPWD需求的专门服务的形式和结构。
