Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With Dementia

Choices are often difficult to make by patients with Alzheimer Dementia. They often become acutely confused when faced with too many options because they are not able to retain in their working memory enough information about the various individual choices available. In this case study, we describe...

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Main Authors: R. C. Hamdy MD, J. V. Lewis MD, A. Kinser PhD, A. Depelteau PhD, R. Copeland MD, T. Kendall-Wilson RN, K. Whalen BA
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2017-07-01
Series:Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721417720585
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spelling doaj-42e0855a9534435b9ff6e42a152446ad2020-11-25T03:21:39ZengSAGE PublishingGerontology and Geriatric Medicine2333-72142017-07-01310.1177/2333721417720585Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With DementiaR. C. Hamdy MD0J. V. Lewis MD1A. Kinser PhD2A. Depelteau PhD3R. Copeland MD4T. Kendall-Wilson RN5K. Whalen BA6East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USAEast Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USAEast Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USAEast Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USAEast Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USAAlzheimer’s Tennessee, USAEast Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USAChoices are often difficult to make by patients with Alzheimer Dementia. They often become acutely confused when faced with too many options because they are not able to retain in their working memory enough information about the various individual choices available. In this case study, we describe how an essentially simple benign task (choosing a dress to wear) can rapidly escalate and result in a catastrophic outcome. We examine what went wrong in the patient/caregiver interaction and how that potentially catastrophic situation could have been avoided or defused.https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721417720585
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author R. C. Hamdy MD
J. V. Lewis MD
A. Kinser PhD
A. Depelteau PhD
R. Copeland MD
T. Kendall-Wilson RN
K. Whalen BA
spellingShingle R. C. Hamdy MD
J. V. Lewis MD
A. Kinser PhD
A. Depelteau PhD
R. Copeland MD
T. Kendall-Wilson RN
K. Whalen BA
Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With Dementia
Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
author_facet R. C. Hamdy MD
J. V. Lewis MD
A. Kinser PhD
A. Depelteau PhD
R. Copeland MD
T. Kendall-Wilson RN
K. Whalen BA
author_sort R. C. Hamdy MD
title Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With Dementia
title_short Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With Dementia
title_full Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With Dementia
title_fullStr Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With Dementia
title_full_unstemmed Too Many Choices Confuse Patients With Dementia
title_sort too many choices confuse patients with dementia
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
issn 2333-7214
publishDate 2017-07-01
description Choices are often difficult to make by patients with Alzheimer Dementia. They often become acutely confused when faced with too many options because they are not able to retain in their working memory enough information about the various individual choices available. In this case study, we describe how an essentially simple benign task (choosing a dress to wear) can rapidly escalate and result in a catastrophic outcome. We examine what went wrong in the patient/caregiver interaction and how that potentially catastrophic situation could have been avoided or defused.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721417720585
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