Case Management as an Approach to Dementia: An Exploratory Study

摘要

The study explores the use of case managed services for dementia patients and their family caregivers. Two inquiries were conducted, one with providers of case managed services, and the other with families eligible to use those services. Case management has received consideration for some time as a means of coordinating community services for frail elderly, and ensuring that appropriate services are delivered. The needs of families of dementia patients for relief from the almost constant care demands presented by dementia patients has been well-documented. A major focus of the study is barriers to service utilization: specifically, are there more problems associated with providing case managed services in cases of dementia than for other elders who require long-term care. The report is divided into four sections: (I) A brief and selective review of the case management literature, with a focus on dementia patients and their families; (II) Summary of findings of interviews with case managers; (III) Summary of findings of interviews with families; and (IV) Implications and Conclusions. The report was prepared as a background paper for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment report. Methods of Locating and Arranging Health and Long Term Care Services for Persons with Dementia.