The rise of dementia is a serious condition in society. Unfortunately, the medical profession is not equipped to properly treat and manage all those who are diagnosed. Patients in hospitals and nursing homes have received antipsychotic medications as a free treatment to manage their symptoms. Recent studies have shown that these drugs are not effective and could even be dangerous for the elderly. This information has prompted the government to launch programs to improve care for patients with dementia in the country.

Researchers at the University of Iowa, and the University of California in San Diego discovered that nearly one-third of patients suffering from varying levels of psychosis who were on antipsychotic medication had metabolic syndrome within the first year. A variety of symptoms can be caused by metabolic syndrome, including abdominal weight gain and insulin resistance. This makes diabetes and heart disease more common. These symptoms were present in 75% of patients after two years of taking the medication.

In May, the Partnership to Improve Dementia care in Nursing Homes initiative was launched in an effort to reduce the use of antipsychotic drugs on patients in nursing homes. The goal is to achieve a 15% reduction by the end this year, and further reductions in 2019. Tennessee has one the highest drug use rates in the country. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has awarded a grant to their Office of Health Care Facilities to help them provide advanced dementia care training for staff at nursing homes. This grant is worth more than $370,000. It is funded from penalties paid by nursing homes that are found to be deficient. This grant is the largest federal agency has ever given in 2012.

Already, training sessions are being held in Nashville. They will also be offered in other parts of Tennessee in the next few months. Tennessee has 30.1% of its long-stay nursing home residents currently on antipsychotic medication. The goal is to bring that down to the minimum of 23.8% nationally, or lower, if possible. To know more details also visit https://grouphomes.com.au/

The Dementia Action Alliance works to improve care for dementia patients in hospitals across the country. People with dementia occupy 25% of hospital beds. The goal of the Dementia Action Alliance is to train hospital staff to make their hospitals more dementia-friendly by March 2013. Because of their cognitive impairment, dementia patients take longer to be discharged and are often released in worse conditions than they were when they arrived. This training will include educating staff on dementia and tailoring care to each patient, as well as calming and relaxing the environment.

It is possible that dementia can affect the emotional memory. You may find yourself in situations where your loved one displays unpredictable behavior within a few days or even a week. Because his brains activate in an unpredictable and random manner, this is because the connections he makes are erratic and unpredictably. This is similar to a flickering firefly that glows and sparkles randomly. A damaged emotional memory can lead to your loved one losing the ability to communicate urgent needs to his family. He may feel embarrassed. However, a person with dementia cannot stop it happening. Family and friends can often categorize behaviors and comments based upon their long-term relationships. This is human nature but it doesn't help your loved ones.

Other measures are being taken across the country to assist dementia patients. To address this problem, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is teaming up with many organizations. Antipsychotic medication is costing Medicare, Medicaid and hundreds of millions of dollars across the country. It also increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and falls. This is a serious problem that must be addressed.