References
Managing lymphoedema in patients with dementia: how to address compliance
Abstract
As practitioners, our primary goal is to do our best for our patients. We give information, advice and recommendations and strive to ensure patients comprehend what we have said to them. Our desire and expectation is that they will carry out our recommended actions, in order to support their treatment and gain a positive outcome. Here, we explore some of the factors that may affect this compliance, particularly for the patient with dementia who has lymphoedema.
Lymphoedema is a chronic and debilitating condition, which can have a serious impact on a patient's quality of life. The prevalence and incidence of lymphoedema is difficult to determine, as it is often misdiagnosed or confused with other conditions. However, estimates for its prevalence in the UK range between 80 000 and 124 000 people (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2011).
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders. It is most often seen in developed countries, where people are more likely to live to an older age and access to health care is more readily available (Dementia UK, 2018).
Dementia UK (2018) reports there are over 850 000 people living with dementia in the UK today. Of these, approximately 42 000 have young onset dementia, which affects people under the age of 65 years. It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2021 will rise to over 1 million (Dementia UK, 2018).
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