Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Many people see end-stage dementia
as affecting only the mind, but a new study shows that the disease's effects are far-reaching and eventually fatal.
The misconception by family members that end-stage dementia is not a terminal condition can have negative consequences for the patient, the researchers say. That's because concerned loved ones often order aggressive, sometimes burdensome interventions such as feeding tubes that will not improve patient outcomes.
"Dementia is a leading cause of death in the U.S., and yet surprisingly little is known about how these patients die," noted the study's lead author, Dr. Susan Mitchell, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a senior scientist at the Hebrew Senior Life Institute for Aging Research in Boston.
"When families are more prepared, their loved ones get less burdensome interventions," said Mitchell, whose team published their findings in the Oct. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dementia currently affects about 5 million Americans, but that number is expected to triple in the next 40 years, according to Mitchell.
Learn more at:
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/families-need-know-when-dementia-becomes-terminal.html
