Reflections on caring for parents with dementia
In a recent column at KevinMD, Philip A. Masters, MD, FACP, described how dealing with cognitive decline in his own family led to greater appreciation of the sustained emotional impact of this condition, not only on patients but also on their loved ones and those who care for them.
In a recent KevinMD column, ACP's Vice President of Membership and Global Engagement, Philip A. Masters, MD, FACP, shared his feelings about being an internist and a son.
Dr. Masters wrote, “As a general internist, I've cared for a multitude of patients in both the hospital and ambulatory setting with various stages of cognitive loss. Although I suspect that my parents' trek into dementing illness was likely not that different from the experience of the many patients and families I've cared for over the years, as their physician child, my parents' decline impacted me in ways that were far more stressful and difficult to deal with personally than I had ever anticipated.”
ACP offers a new toolkit for physicians and caregivers on informal caregiving. It is available online.