Psychosocial Intervention of Dementia

Oh, Byoung Hoon

Abstract

Dementia is the most disabling neuropsychiatric disorder of adulthood. Typical dementia-Alzheimer disease (AD) is progressive and irreversible dementia syndrome characterized by loss of intellectual capacity in many domains, altered behavior, inability to care for oneself, and altimately, neurologic abnormalities. But, unfortunately, the exact cause of dementia is still unknown and in the treatment of dementia, the focus is limited to relieve the cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Among treatment modalities of dementia, biomedical intervention has been emphasized on organic cause, individual pathology and cognitive symptomatology. But, for effective management of dementia, both biomedical and psychosocial factors must be included. Because the most fruitful apporach to developing a clinical response to dementia is an interplay between neurologic impairment and the psychosocial experiences of the dementia patients. However, until recently, little attention has been given to the psychosocial implications of the dementia. Psychosocial intervention enable to quality of human interaction and maintain personal identity. Psychosocial intervention should be a guiding principle in the development and implementation of menagement srtategies. Through the psychosocial intervention, problem behaviors might be understood as evidence of promorbid coping styles, searches for security, or activity patterns associated with previous work roles. In fact, psychosocial intervention based on integrated community services because treatment plan of dementia cannot be conducted in isolation. Psychosocial intervention mainly composed of psychotherapy, day care, nursing home, case management and social care. So, to understand and treatment the dementia, all biomedical factors must be examined and simultaneously psychosocial intervention must be considered for patient and family members and other caregivers.