The neuropsychological palliative programs based on professionally oriented tests and quality of life of patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Viacheslav Viktorovich Sushko, Viktor Vasilievich Sushko- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Neurology (clinical)
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Health Policy
- Epidemiology
Abstract
As a rule, in progressive memory disorders, memory impairment occurs in a certain sequence. One of the last things a person forgets is the knowledge and skills he or she acquired during his or her professional activities.
We treated five women with Alzheimer’s disease aged 65‐70 years old. They received standard medication according to medical standards for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. They also received daily palliative care based on neuropsychological programs that included a variety of psychological tests and professionally oriented psychological tests. During history taking, patients were asked about their occupation. On special cards containing photos of objects connected with the patient’s profession, the patient found an object he or she could remember and name. This could be done once or every day before palliative neuropsychological programs. Then, during palliative sessions, a photo of this object was attached to all the numbers in this task, and the patient performed the action not just with numbers, but with the number of a particular object. For example, with the professionally oriented Schultz table, the patient, who had worked as a trolleybus driver all her life, found and showed not just numbers but the number of accumulators. As the patient recognized the photo of the battery and was able to name it correctly. And during the professional orientation of the Schultz table, we attached a picture of the battery to each digit. Also, at the end of the class, the patients answered the ten questions of the Patient Quality of Life Test.
During palliative neuropsychological programs if patients could not do the test task because it was difficult for them, the next day we offered the patient to do a professionally oriented task which, as a rule, the patient did. Subjective assessment of the patient’s quality of life was higher if the patient managed to do everything. There was also a desire to stay in the class longer.