Survival of people with dementia after unplanned acute hospital admission: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To examine the effect of dementia on longer term survival after hospital admission, and to assess whether dementia is an independent predictor of mortality. This information is vital for the provision of appropriate care.

Methods: A prospective cohort study, in a large urban acute general hospital, of 616 people (70 years and older) with unplanned medical admission.

Study protocol: the behaviour and pain in dementia study (BePAID).

Background: People with dementia admitted to the acute hospital often receive poor quality care particularly with regards to management of behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and of pain. There have been no UK studies on the prevalence and type of pain or BPSD in people with dementia in this setting, or on how these may impact on patients, carers, staff and costs of care.

Methods/design: We shall recruit older people with dementia who have unplanned acute medical admissions and measure the prevalence of BPSD using the Behave-AD (Behaviour in Alzheimer's Disease) and the CMAI (Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory).

Palliative assessment and advance care planning in severe dementia: an exploratory randomized controlled trial of a complex intervention.

Patients with advanced dementia often receive poor end-of-life care. We aimed to design and pilot a palliative care and advance care plan (ACP) intervention. Patients had undergone emergency hospital admission and had severe dementia.

Dementia in the acute hospital: prospective cohort study of prevalence and mortality.

Background: Increasing numbers of people will die with dementia, many in the acute hospital. It is often not perceived to be a life-limiting illness.

Aims: To investigate the prevalence of dementia in older people undergoing emergency medical admission and its effect on outcomes.

Palliative care in advanced dementia; A mixed methods approach for the development of a complex intervention.

Background: There is increasing interest in improving the quality of care that patients with advanced dementia receive when they are dying. Our understanding of the palliative care needs of these patients and the natural history of advanced disease is limited. Many people with advanced dementia have unplanned emergency admissions to the acute hospital; this is a critical event: half will die within 6 months.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept) for reducing the incidence of postoperative delirium after elective total hip replacement.

Objectives: This was a pilot, phase 2a study to assess methodological feasibility and the safety and efficacy of donepezil in preventing postoperative delirium after elective total hip replacement surgery in older people without pre-existing dementia. The hypothesis was that donepezil would reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium.

Methods: A double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group randomized trial was undertaken.