Seeing the same physician, going to the same dentist or pharmacist, and having the same set of healthcare as much as possible, is important when caring for our older adults, especially for those living with symptoms of dementia. This is otherwise known as “continuity of care.”
Why then is it important to have “continuity of care” when caring for someone living with symptoms of dementia?
Why Continuity of Care in Dementia Care is Important for Well-being
In most cases, older adults usually have “comorbidities,” that is, they may be taking multiple medications to treat other conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, depression, diuretics, appetite, sleep, and many others. This can make their care and management complex and complicated.
Having consistent healthcare providers (e.g., doctors, pharmacists, and professional caregivers) can reduce the risk of “polypharmacy,” or worse, “extreme polypharmacy.” (Polypharmacy is when a person is taking multiple medications for the same condition; while extreme polypharmacy is taking 10 or more medications to treat a single disease.)
It is also not uncommon to see cases of psychotropic polypharmacy, wherein an older adult is receiving multiple medications to treat a mental health issue.
Similarly, another important reason why it’s important to have the same or consistent healthcare providers is to minimize the risk of adverse drug events (ADE) or adverse drug interactions. This is when one medication produces an antagonizing or opposite effect to another medication a person is taking concurrently.
For example, benzodiazepines, which are a class of sedatives used for the treatment of anxiety or insomnia should not be prescribed to an older adult who is a high fall risk.
Benefits to Well-Being of Continuity of Care
Studies have shown that older adults who receive care from consistent or the same healthcare providers receive better quality of care than those who see different doctors and care professionals.
Those who see the same doctors, for instance, seem to experience fewer hospitalizations.
It seems that a professional’s sense of accountability and responsibility is increased when they see the same patients over a longer period of time, according to “Continuity of GP care for patients with dementia: impact on prescribing and the health of patients” by British Journal of General Practice (BJGP). The effect is a better quality of care and most importantly, a more meaningful relationship is developed between care provider and care receiver.
The same observation can be seen in the relationships between healthcare aides or personal support workers and their clients.
Even more significant and encouraging is that studies have shown that persons living with symptoms of dementia have fewer incidences of delirium when they see the same set of faces over time. The sense of familiarity may give them some level of stability and security. A regular caregiver can more easily detect when something isn’t right.
What Can We Do to Promote Continuity of Care?
Whenever we can, we should work with our care providers and advocate to ensure that our older adults, especially those living with symptoms of dementia, see the same set of professionals as consistently as possible.
Home Care Companies, particularly, private home care companies, are willing to work with their clients to achieve this. It is important that family caregivers who are considering home care support for their loved ones to provide as much as advanced notice to the home care company they are considering working with. Explore more than one home care company not only to compare costs but their ability to provide continuity of care. This has certainly been our experience here at Dementia Solutions. We are always encouraging effective solutions for our clients that result in many ‘win-win’.
If this article has been helpful to you, or if you have a specific topic you want us to talk about in our next issue, please send us an email at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.
Disclaimer: This post is for information only to let people know the importance of “continuity of care” when caring for someone with symptoms of dementia.
