Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in primary care: a survey of general practitioners in Ireland.

Background Management of neuropsychiatric symptoms is a challenging task in primary care. Aims To assess self-reported confidence and knowledge of general practitioners (GPs) regarding the identification and management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).Methods A self-designed two-page paper questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 160 GPs practising in north Dublin.

Quality of end-of-life care for dementia patients during acute hospital admission: a retrospective study in Ireland.

Objectives: To examine the quality of end-of-life care received by patients with and without dementia on acute medical wards during their final hospitalization.

Methods: A retrospective clinical case note review of patients aged over 65 who had died on acute medical wards within a 6-month period in a general hospital in Dublin was conducted. Seventy-five multidisciplinary clinical notes were available for scrutiny in order to identify cognitive status, measure the frequency of invasive procedures undertaken and examine the quality of palliative care as benchmarked with the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP) program.