ABSTRACT
Patients suffering cancer also may be experiencing age-related cognitive dysfunctions and treatment-related cognitive deficits. Cognitive failure impacts upon coping with the dying process, sometimes aiding it, mostly not. Patients with cognitive impairments are less likely to receive analgesia, and the risk of undertreatment increases with the severity of dementia. The rapidly rising rates of dementia worldwide, a reflection of ageing populations and lifestyle, signal an emerging crisis. A palliative approach to dementia care and partnership, rather than specialist palliative care, may offer the best benefit to the burgeoning services for the elderly. Dementia is a chronic and progressive clinical syndrome characterised by an acquired impairment of three domains of function: neuropsychological, behavioural/psychological symptoms, and deficits in activities of daily living. Dementia is distinguished from mental retardation by its acquired nature. Demented persons are at high risk of delirium because of a low deliriant threshold. Dementia challenges capacity.
