YOUNGER ONSET DEMENTIA - DEVELOPING A LONGITUDINAL MODEL AS THE BASISFOR A RESEARCH AGENDA AND AS A GUIDE TO INTERVENTIONS WITH SUFFERERS AND CARERS

With the current emphasis on community care, the importance of dementi a as an area for the interventions of community practitioners, especia lly nurses, cannot be overemphasized. However, despite being the subje ct of increasing research over recent times, a comprehensive model of the dementia experience from either the sufferer's or carer's perspect ive has yet to be developed. This is particularly noticeable in the ca se of people suffering from dementia below the age of 65. This situati on is exacerbated by the lack of representative epidemiological studie s which relate to the incidence or prevalence of younger onset dementi a. In this paper, the current epidemiological literature on younger on set dementia is considered and the findings from previous work are use d to suggest prevalence figures for Wales. A longitudinal model of the dementia experience from a sufferer's perspective is then presented a s the basis for a research agenda. It is also suggested that this mode l, subject to empirical testing and refinement, could be used as a gui de to interventions for practitioners working with the sufferers and t heir carers.