When traditional care falls short. Caring for people with atypical presentations of cortical dementia

1 People with chronic dementias receive care and support with programs designed for people with Alzheimer's disease, meaning a significant minority of patients will not benefit as a result of atypical or unusual presentations of cortical decline. 2 When patients have atypical presentations of dementia, nurses must recognize the unusual symptoms, assess care needs, and develop appropriate management strategies. 3 For patients with chronic dementia, individualized care planning includes knowledge of: 1) the patient's culture; 2) their past habits, activities, and preferences; 3) their remaining abilities; 4) the regions of the brain affected, histopathology, and size of the affected area; 5) the usual trajectory for the disease type; and 6) external demands. 4 Conducting research on assessment and care of people with atypical presentations of dementia is very difficult because of their rare nature and lack of recognition by health practitioners who may diagnose the patients with Alzheimer's disease.