Fast assessment of demented patients care needs for an appropriate access to Alzheimer's Valuation Unit: proposal for a nurses dedicated triage.

Abstract Title: Fast assessment of demented patients care needs for an appropriate access to Alzheimer's Valuation Unit: proposal for a nurses dedicated triage Abstract: Introduction: the old people are increasing in the well-being countries and most of them, by the time, present neurological illness to be treated Abstract Aims: This study suggest the usefulness and applicability of a simple assessment to graduate the urgency’s accessibility to the Alzheimer Valuation Unit (UVA), so patients suspected of dementia can receive assistance in a more appropriate manner in order to fine-tune the flow of users related to the service, to minimize the effects of the disease and, as far as possible, thus lighten the physical and mental load of people, who care for demented patients(caregivers, often relatives ) Materials and methods: It 'was designed by a clinical staff, in a Roman Hospital, a simple Rating Scale (VBA) of care needs, used in Neurology Unit Service or even on the check- in of Emergency Department(DEA), which provides to give a color-code (White, Green, Yellow, Red) depending on the problematic degree of cares Results: We show regard for 36 following patient’s caregivers who required a visit at our UVA, submitting a sanitary filling form, with VBA and the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI). Each of them has been given a color-code based on the obtained scores: 44%R , 32%Y,16%G and 8%W. A rear telephone estimation, of the same patient’s caregivers, who have received a red code, has shown a significant reduction of the CBI’s score in 50% of them Conclusions: Our rating scale has proved a valuable tool and so much better to apply for manage the ordinary access to UVA and services(DH, Units or domiciliary) in order to choose the timing and intensity of cares, to established specific individually objectives for patients and caregivers, through an objective urgency conditions,rather than the purely chronological access