More Mobile Palliative Care Teams Are Needed

Families caring for people with dementia need far more than a diagnosis. They need practical information, ongoing guidance and, in some cases, mobile palliative care teams, according to Dr. Polona Rus Prelog, head of the Gerontopsychiatry Unit at the University Psychiatric Clinic in Ljubljana.

The clinic runs a series of lectures called Living With Dementia. Specialists explain the characteristics of the disease, associated psychological and behavioral symptoms, social benefits, dietary needs, safe medication use and therapeutic activities. Some relatives benefit from leaflets and manuals, while others need support groups where they can speak with people facing similar difficulties. Regular consultations during outpatient appointments also remain important.

The difficult question is where families should draw the line between respecting a person’s independence and preventing danger. “Our position is that a person should remain as independent as possible for as long as possible, but the threshold must be low, because safety in every respect must be ensured,” Rus Prelog says.

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A person with dementia needs regular monitoring, not just a diagnosis, and sometimes professional help with non-pharmacological approaches.

Driving can give someone with dementia a strong sense of independence, making relatives reluctant to intervene. Yet Rus Prelog says driving ability should be assessed relatively early. She says the clinic still learns during hospital admissions that people with advanced dementia continue to drive.

Finances present another risk. People with early dementia, including highly educated people, can fall victim to online scams or unintentionally spend large sums. In such cases, families may begin guardianship proceedings. An expert then assesses what the person can still manage independently, including access to money, small purchases, mail and medical appointments. Rus Prelog will discuss dementia as an invisible epidemic of a long-lived society with Štefanija L. Zlobec of Spominčica, the Alzheimer Slovenia association, at the Health 2026 conference in Ljubljana on Sept. 23.

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Our position is that a person should remain as independent as possible for as long as possible, but the threshold must be low, because safety in every respect must be ensured.