Depression in nursing home residents with dementia

Abstract

Depression is highly prevalent in nursing home residents with dementia. It is negatively associated with a resident's well-being and daily functioning and can increase mortality and use of healthcare services. However, depression is under-recognized and undertreated in nursing homes. To improve depression management in residents with dementia, procedures are necessary for detecting and diagnosing depression and for psychosocial and pharmacological treatment strategies. Furthermore, monitoring the effects of any given treatment is highly important for improving depression management. This chapter describes a care program that encompasses procedures for a multidisciplinary approach to depression recognition and treatment in residents with dementia and that has been developed and shown to be effective in the nursing home setting. Additionally, the chapter goes into requirements for adequate depression management and implementing care programs in daily practice.