Literature Review

How to move a parent with dementia against family resistance—and stay legal Advisorpedia; by Carolyn Rosenblatt; 9/3/25 The phone call came to Dad’s daughter (FD) at 6 AM. Again. This time, it was the night caregiver reporting that her father had fallen while trying to get out of bed. She had jumped up and tried to stop him but she could only get to him in time to break his fall. ... The caregiver was exasperated. She needed more help and SW did not provide it. It was the third incident in two weeks, and FD knew something had to change.

Palliative care needs of older adults with and without dementia during post-acute care in skilled nursing facilitiesJournal of Applied Gerontology; by Joan G Carpenter, Elisha Oduro, Nancy Hodgson, Shijun Zhu, Merve Gurlu, Mary Ersek, Laura C Hanson; 8/25Seriously ill older adults, including those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), often receive disease-focused rehabilitative care in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) with little consideration for their palliative care (PC) needs. Using baseline data from a pilot pragmatic clinical trial (N=52), we conducted a cross-sectional study to compare the clinical characteristics and the PC needs of older adults with and without ADRD receiving SNF care. Functional decline was the most common global indicator for palliative care among both groups. While there was no statistically significant difference in PC needs between the two groups, the most prevalent PC needs for all were pain (63.5%), feeling anxious or worried (59.6%), family and friends being anxious or worried (57.7%), and need for information (46.2%). Older adults with and without an ADRD diagnosis who are admitted to post-acute SNF care may benefit from universal screening and tailored PC services.

Behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia are associated with care partner abusive behaviorsJournal of Elder Abuse & Neglect; by Emily LeRolland, Francesca Falzarano, Karen L. Siedlecki; 8/25Abuse of older adults with dementia is an increasingly prevalent public health concern in the United States. The current study examined whether care recipient behavioral symptoms (e.g. aggressive or agitated behaviors) predicted abusive behaviors by care partners. Results indicate that most participants reported engaging in at least one abusive behavior toward their care recipient. Behavioral symptoms in care recipients were a significant predictor of abusive behavior perpetrated by the care partner, even after controlling for a large number of covariates. Care partner depressive symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between care recipient behavioral symptoms and care partner abusive behavior. Our results suggest that physician screening for depression in care partners and referral to appropriate resources may be one avenue for decreasing the risk of abuse toward care recipients. 

[Iceland] Medication causes and treatment of delirium in patients with and without dementiaBrain and Behavior; by Anita Elaine Weidmann, Rut Matthíasdóttir, Guðný Björk Proppé, Ivana Tadić, Pétur Sigurdur Gunnarsson, Freyja Jónsdóttir; 7/25This summary offers the most detailed summary of medication-related information for delirium in patients with and without dementia to support prescribing decisions. While the detailed results can be used to support a multicomponent approach to delirium care, they also support the call for categorizing delirium into distinct etiological subgroups. The effect of medication on gut microbiome diversity and composition should be considered.

Musical organization brings comfort to hospice patients CBS 19 News, Charlottesville, VA by Jadyn Howard; 8/14/25 The Front Porch, a nonprofit music organization, partners with Hospice of the Piedmont to give musical performances to patients in their final months. "Mom doesn’t know her grandchildren or great-grandchildren, but Clara sings the song and words come out it’s beautiful so something about the brain remembers music," said Beth Johnson, daughter of a patient at Linden House for Assisted Living.  Clara George is a Front Porch musician who performs for Johnson's mother every Thursday. "People who have dementia a lot of times they can felt isolated or lonely or agitated and when I start playing with them I see their hands start to clap and sing along," said George.

[UK] 'Dementia has got two faces': grief as an experience of holding on and letting go for people living with primary progressive aphasia and posterior cortical atrophyAging and Mental Health; Claire Waddington, Henry Clements, Sebastian Crutch, Martina Davis, Jonathan Glenister, Emma Harding, Erin Hope Thompson, Jill Walton, Joshua Stott; 8/25Research on grief in people with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), is limited, despite the unique challenges these individuals face due to lack of understanding of their condition, younger age at onset and atypical symptom profile. The current study explores the losses people living with PPA or PCA experience and what helps to navigate these losses. The impact and navigation of loss is reflected across five interconnecting themes: what I have lost, am losing and will lose, shared and unique sense of loss, balance between what is lost and what remains, changes in relationships and what helps in navigating loss. These findings will be used alongside existing grief theory and interventional frameworks to develop a psychosocial intervention for people living with dementia.

Caregiver-reported barriers and facilitators to hospice enrollment for persons with dementia: A systematic review of qualitative evidencePalliative Medicine; by Oonjee Oh, Connie M Ulrich, Lauren Massimo, George Demiris; 7/25Despite the increasing prevalence of dementia, persons with dementia often receive suboptimal care near the end of life. Dementia caregivers experience intrapersonal, interpersonal, emotional, logistical, and physical challenges in ensuring quality end-of-life support for their loved one (e.g. limited understanding of end-stage dementia, gatekeeping providers, and family conflicts). The unique needs of caregivers caring for a seriously ill family member with dementia are not being fully addressed by the current available services and policies.

Finding the communication sweet spot: Strategies promoting personhood in conversations between individuals with dementia and their family membersJournal of Family Communication; by R. Amanda Cooper, Chizobam Nweke, Hannah Brocksmith; 7/25... this study explored the various ways through which family members promote the personhood of their loved ones with dementia. Personhood was promoted by reminding the people with dementia of their identities, encouraging them to share their thoughts, assessing and adjusting to their conversational needs, and cultivating relational connections with them. Some behaviors were inconsistent with the tenets of person-centered communication and involved underaccommodation or overaccommodation. The findings reveal potential strategies and pitfalls of promoting personhood within the family caregiving context.

Hearing loss, loneliness may contribute to cognitive decline in older adults McKnights Senior Living; by John Roszkowski; 7/28/25 Hearing loss and loneliness can contribute to dementia in older adults, and simple interventions to address hearing loss, such as hearing aids, may reduce cognitive decline in some cases, new research finds. ... Results of the study showed that higher levels and worsening self-reported hearing impairment were associated with steeper decline in episodic memory issues and executive functioning (verbal fluency). Further, the researchers found that individuals who were not socially isolated but still felt lonely saw their cognitive decline accelerate if they were deaf.

Complications of gastrostomy tube placement in patients with dementia: A national inpatient analysisSurgical Endoscopy; Spencer R. Goble, Thomas M. Leventhal; 6/25Gastrostomy tubes have not been shown to improve long-term outcomes in patients with dementia, yet the risk of short-term complications have not been well characterized in this population. Conclusions: Gastrostomy tube placement complications do not appear to be increased in patients with dementia. However, those who undergo gastrostomy tube placement are less likely to discharge to home which has important quality of life implications.

Carolina Caring launches specialized program to support dementia patients Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 7/3/25 On Tuesday, July 1st, 2025, Carolina Caring launched a new Dementia Care Program designed to provide expert support and services to patients with a dementia diagnosis. As part of this launch, Carolina Caring also announced approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the “Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience” (GUIDE) Model of Care, a national initiative which seeks to improve quality of life for dementia patients. The expansion of this Dementia Care Program builds upon years of Carolina Caring’s internal development and collaboration with universities and professional partners. The program is now accepted as a National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) Dementia Care Program.

Gentiva unveils 3 disease-specific hospice programs Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/3/25 Gentiva has set in motion three new disease-specific hospice programs branded as Cancer Comfort Care, Dementia Comfort Care and Cardiac Comfort Care. The three new suites of services have launched in select markets with plans for national expansion. They are designed to provide tailored services to serve the unique needs of terminally ill patients suffering from cancer, dementia or cardiac conditions, such as heart failure and other diseases. Those three types of diseases are among the most common diagnoses for hospice patients.