around 40% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease presents a picture of depression
El Hospital Sagrat Cor de Martorell holds first day of Geriatrics for primary care
-confusion between Alzheimer’s and depression is a common problem among professionals of care primary.
-almost half of older people arising in acute hospitals presents a high State of fragility when they are given Alta.
Martorell (Barcelona), March 2012.- One of the most common problems facing primary care practitioners at the time to diagnose the disorders affecting the greater patient is the difficulty of distinguishing between Alzheimer’s disease and the depressed box. Currently, about 40% of people with Alzheimer’s disease suffer depression, so it is essential to know differentiate both diseases for correct diagnosis and early treatment of this symptomatology.
This has been one of the topics covered in the first day of Geriatrics for primary care, organized by the area health of the Sagrat Cor Hospital of Martorell in order to improve knowledge of the care for the elderly and encourage interaction among practitioners of primary and specialized care.
As for the correct diagnosis of the disease of Alzheimer’s disease and depression, it is very important that there should be close collaboration between primary and specialized. Today we find that 15% of the elderly with a depressive episode it can manifest as depression pseudodemencia, what causes that you fall into the error of diagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease, when only the administration of antidepressant drugs eliminating symptoms ”said doctor Manel Sánchez, Coordinator of the unit of Psychogeriatrics of the Hospital Sagrat Cor of Martorell.
For its part, doctor Jesus Ruiz, Coordinator of the area of Psychogeriatrics of the Hospital Mare Déu of the Mercè of Barcelona, confirms the need for interaction among professionals in both health care services. Often errors occur in the attribution of common symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease – like for example the apathy or alterations of sleep and appetite – as depressive symptoms and are administered drugs that have no effect on the development of the disease ”, explained.
Is therefore essential, from primary, establishment of clear criteria of differentiation ”, has argued Ruiz.
Lack of coordination between welfare resources
On the other hand, the experts attending the Conference have coincided in pointing out that there is a lack of knowledge of the socio-sanitary environment, both at the professional level and among the population in general.
Today, produces an under-utilization of resources sociosanitarios, that those who are prepared to offer comprehensive care to identify and evaluate together the cognitive, emotional and social aspects of the person ”, explained the doctor Josep Ortiz, responsible for the unity of convalescence and care palliative of the Hospital Sagrat Cor de Martorell. professionals must take into account that the elderly, in addition to the base disease patients, are other factors – such as loneliness, lack of economic resources, loss of physical autonomy, etc.-influencing the course of the problem ”, has pointed out.
On the other hand, the experts have shown that there is a lack of coordination between different health care services. Currently, between 40-50% of the elderly arising in acute hospitals presents a high fragility State when they are discharged, as explained Dr. Ortiz. Lose some of the capabilities that had previously upon admission, presenting cognitive or emotional problems, urinary incontinence, disorders of balance and gait, among others, that could be avoided since comprehensive care in which intervene the sociosanitarios resources ”.
Behavioral disorders that present the elderly patients have also been addressed in first day of Geriatrics for primary assistance and there has been debate about how it can act to retard the income of the elderly in homes, as well as on the most common problems facing primary care professionals.
On hospital sisters
Hospital Sagrat Cor de Martorell is a facility that offers inpatient care in mental health and geriatric, and has more than twenty community facilities throughout the Catalan territory.
These centres are run by the Congregation of the sisters Hospital of the sacred heart of Jesus, founded in 1881 by San Benito Menni, Member of the order of San Juan de Dios, MarÃa Josefa Recio and MarÃa Angustias Giménez Vera. The three founders felt the need to create an institution to give response to the situation of health abandonment and social exclusion which lived the mentally ill at the time, especially women. The first Center was founded in Ciempozuelos, a few kilometres from Madrid.
Since then, the work of the Congregation has spread worldwide and nowadays the hospital action is present in 26 countries of Europe, America, Asia and Africa. In total, more than 1,100 sisters and about 10,000 lay partners make it possible the implementation and development of the Apostolic mission of the hospital sisters around the world. All of them struggle to provide patients and covered persons in the different centers a comprehensive care that includes physical, psychic, social and spiritual aspects.
The presence of the hospital sisters in Catalonia dates back to 1888, year of the foundation of the asylum of Sant Rafael, today transformed in general hospital. In 1895 took care of the psychiatric hospital of San Boi and, successively, other centres were creating.
The province of Barcelona currently manages six hospital entities in Catalonia and Aragon: Hospital Sant Rafael (Barcelona); Complex healthcare at Health Mental Benito Menni (Sant Boi de Llobregat); Hospital Sagrat Cor (Martorell); l ’ Hospital Mare de Déu of la Mercè (Horta); the Centre Psicopedagògic Nostra Senyora de Montserrat (Caldes de Malavella) and the Centre Neuropsychiatry Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Garrapinillos, Zaragoza). At the same time, all these institutions depends on a broad network of community welfare devices.
