Older adults with dementia care needs often visit primary care physicians (PCPs), but PCP dementia care limitations are widely documented. This study tested the value of employing a nurse practitioner (NP) with geropsychiatric expertise to augment PCP care for newly and recently diagnosed patients and family caregivers. Twenty-one dyads received the NP intervention; 10 dyads were controls. Outcomes included patient neuropsychiatric symptom and quality of life changes, and caregiver depression, burden, and self-efficacy changes. Intervention acceptability by patients, caregivers, and PCPs was determined. No outcome differences were found; however, the NP intervention was deemed highly satisfactory by all stakeholders. Patients experienced no significant cognitive decline during the 12-month study period, helping explain why outcomes did not change. Given widespread acceptability, future tests of this PCP-enhancing intervention should include patients with more progressive cognitive decline at study entry. NPs with geropsychiatric expertise are ideal interventionists for this rapidly growing target population.
Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.