40% Of People With Dementia Living In The Community Have Behavioral, Psychological & Physical Symptoms

About 40% or more of older adults with advanced dementia who live in the community experience behavioral, psychological, and physical symptoms of dementia. These symptoms include pain, agitation, anxiety, and resistiveness to care. According to researchers, the symptoms of dementia have a significant impact on the quality of life, health care costs, caregiver burden, and nursing home placement. However, among community-dwelling older adults, symptoms of dementia are often not reported to primary care professionals.

Increased caregiver strain was found for caregivers of older adults with higher neuropsychiatric symptom severity, as assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q). NPI . . .