ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 is the first of two that address contemporary interventions in cases of dementia. It focuses on five problematic responses, all of which also form part of often efforts to help people with dementia. The chapter identifies these five problematic responses because of their seemingly pivotal role in the homicides, as reflected through the case files. Case studies are used to illustrate each of these themes. The first, malignant practices, references the disdainful and disrespectful ways people respond to persons with dementia, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The second, the specter of the nursing home, explores the important role the prospect of entering a nursing home or care facility played in the lead up to the homicide. The third, tricky diagnoses and treatments, examines the immense difficulties that professionals of all persuasions have in working with dementia cases. The fourth, siege mentalities, applies especially to the age cohort and likely reflects its concern to determine their fate without state intervention. The fifth, missed opportunities, captures some of the failures to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate that somehow seem to have played a role in the deaths.
