Rachel Moll-Dowdell
BScN, RN
Clinical Consultant
Team: Continuing Care Psychiatric Consulting Service
Organization: Alberta Health Services
Bio
Rachel Moll-Dowdell is a Registered Nurse who works as a clinical consultant for the Continuing Care Psychiatric Consulting Service. Rachel’s clinical interests include caring for and aiming to improve quality of life for people living with neuropsychiatric symptoms of disease, spirituality, and ethics.
Presentation(s)
In addition to progressive cognitive and functional decline, up to 80 percent of patients with dementia present with noncognitive neuropsychiatric or behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD). This presentation will demonstrate a practical, clinical approach to assessment and management of behavioral issues in late stage dementia and end of life. Assessment of pain and symptom behaviors in the cognitively impaired patient will be discussed. An integrated framework of psychosocial, behavioral, and pharmacologic interventions will be emphasized.
3 Learning Objectives
1) To demonstrate the spectrum of cognitive dysfunction and non-cognitive neuropsychiatric or behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) in the elderly and late life.
2) To illustrate a practical, clinical approach to assessment and management of behavioral issues in late stage dementia and the end of life.
3) To integrate a framework of psychosocial, behavioral and pharmacologic interventions, including a sequential drug treatment algorithm for BPSD.