| Title | The functional status and quality of life of patients with Korsakoff syndrome living in long-term care facilities: Design of an observational study |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2015 |
| Authors | Gerridzen I.J, Joling K.J, Veenhuizen R.B, Verschuur E.M, Hertogh C.M |
| Journal | International Psychogeriatrics |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | SUPPL. 1 |
| Pagination | S79-S80 |
| Keywords | *functional status, *human, *Korsakoff psychosis, *long term care, *observational study, *patient, *Quality of Life, Aggression, apathy, Behavior, home care, inappropriate prescribing, mental disease, Netherlands, nurse, physician, prescription, Prevalence, psychotropic agent, questionnaire, rating scale |
| Abstract | Objective: Patients with Korsakoff syndrome (KS) residing in specialized long-term care facilities (LTCFs) often show challenging behavioral problems like lack of awareness of their deficits, aggression, and apathy. Moreover, due to cognitive and psychiatric disorders, patients are often unable to perform all domains of informed decisionmaking and may be considered to be partially competent. These problems put a heavy strain on care professionals and may lead to prescription of psychotropic drugs. Good estimates of the prevalence of behavioral symptoms and the use of psychotropic drugs in patients with KS residing in LTCFs are scarce. Also, the functional status, quality of life and needs of care of this group of patients have hardly been studied yet. The aim of this study is to describe the functional status, behavioral problems, the use of psychotropic drugs, quality of life and capacity of patients with KS living in specialized LTCFs. Method(s): A cross-sectional, descriptive study, recruiting 250 patients with KS living in specialized LTCFs in the Netherlands will be conducted. Primary outcomes include functional status as measured with sections of the Resident Assessment Instrument for Long-Term Care Facilities and Home Care (RAI-LTCF and RAI-HC), behavioral problems as measured with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) and Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-10), awareness of deficits as measured with the Patient Competency Rating Scale-Clinician Form and -Patient Form (PCRS) and quality of life as measured with the Manchester Short Assessment Quality of Life (MANSA). Furthermore, prescription of psychotropic drugs will be derived from patients' records and capacity will be judged by the responsible nurse and physician. Conclusion(s): The results of this study will provide an evidence base to develop specific guidelines for care of institutionalized patients with KS. Ultimately, this may help care professionals in better managing challenging behavioral problems and reducing inappropriate prescription of psychotropic drugs and, subsequently, increasing quality of life of these patients. |
| DOI | 10.1017/S1041610215002161 |
