Telling a 'good or white lie': The views of people living with dementia and their carers.

Objective: A common symptom of cognitive decline in people living with dementia, or people with memory problems, the cause of which has not yet been diagnosed, is the person repeatedly asking for loved ones who are deceased or making statements that are incorrect. Carers are then faced with a dilemma, do they avoid and distract or 'correct' the person and tell the 'truth', or tell a lie. This paper explores the concept of lying from the perspective of people living with dementia in the community and their informal/unpaid carers.

The effects of caregiving on women's self-assessed health status: an international comparison.

To compare the self-assessed health status (SAHS) of female caregivers of older adults across the United States (N = 1,496), China (N = 485), and the United Kingdom (N = 252), data from three data sets were analyzed to isolate significant predictors of SAHS using an adapted meta-analytic technique. Higher income and full-time employment were predictors of higher SAHS; chronic health condition and emotional strain predicted lower SAHS. Female gender was a predictor of lower SAHS.

Making equity a reality: oral health promotion in a psychiatric setting.

The aim of the study addresses the inequity in oral health status of long stay psychiatric patients, by promoting an inter-disciplinary team approach to oral health promotion. A cross sectional study using a modified version of the oral health assessment guide (OHAG) (Eilers et al 1988, Sjorgen & Nordstrom 2000) was used by a nurse who received training and calibration at the School of Dentistry, Queen's University, Belfast, to assess the oral health status of long stay psychiatric patients. The paper provides an overview of the literature relating to oral health within the context of holistic health.