Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
12-2016
Abstract
Purpose: Approximately 27 million adults are living with undiagnosed dementia worldwide. The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of adult children of elderly parents who were ultimately diagnosed with dementia.
Data sources: A descriptive qualitative design was used for identifying if there were prodromal signs or symptoms that preceded the more commonly known warning signs of dementia. Twelve, 60-min interviews were conducted over the telephone.
Conclusions: The overarching theme was: “Why didn't I know?” Subthemes were “We ignored it because we didn't want it to be,” “We thought it was grief,” and “They wouldn't diagnose dementia.” Normal aging changes often mask the identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Healthcare providers should screen patients for dementia when cognitive concerns or changes become apparent.
Implications for practice: The General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition and the Mini-Cog can be used for screening cognitive changes. Since depression may be misinterpreted as dementia, screening for depression should also be included if there is a potential for overlap. This is important in those patients who are experiencing grief, as many signs and symptoms of early grief are the same as early dementia.
College/Unit
College of Health and Public Administration
Academic Department
Nursing
Publication or Event Title
Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Volume
28
Issue
12
First Page
668
Last Page
674
DOI
10.1002/2327-6924.12382
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Conner, D., Postma, J., & Van Son, C. (2016). Why Didn’t I Know? Perspectives from Adult Children of Elderly Parents with Dementia. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 28 (12), 668-674. https://doi.org/10.1002/2327-6924.12382
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners on May 25, 2016, available online: https://doi.org/10.1002/2327-6924.12382