Optimal prescribing in the dementia setting is challenging as patients are older adults with multiple co-morbidities. Adverse health outcomes are common and may be compounded by polypharmacy, medication burden and increased adverse drug effects.
Further challenges arise from diminishing capacity, difficulty communicating and comprehension, resulting in pharmacological treatment that changes along shifting goals of care.
This webinar aims to provide a clinical framework for prescribing in the dementia setting, including examining appropriate prescribing and de-prescribing for optimising quality of life as the goals of care change over time. Specific examples are given to describe the appropriate use of common medications in dementia care.
Resources:
- Anticholinergic Burden Calculator
- Driving assessment for patients with dementia: a how-to guide - Goodfellow Unit MedCase
- Living well with dementia podcast and resources
Presenter
Dr Phil Wood
Phil is a Geriatrician (Waitemata DHB), with roles in the Northern Region as a Clinical Leader, the Ministry of Health as Chief Advisor for Healthy Ageing and Co-Director Director of BRNZ’s Dementia Prevention Research Clinics.
His work particularly focuses on the Memory Clinic at North Shore Hospital. Advisory roles involve exploring and advising of new model of care for older people and service development. He also in private practice on Auckland’s North Shore.
